Practically Perfect in Every Way
by Hostile 17
Summary: Challenge fic by Kantayra. Buffy gets to change everything about Spike to make him the perfect man for her to love. Buffy gets her wish and so much more. *Chapter 7 up*
1. Dreams can come true

_Challenge fic by Kantayra.  Challenge will be posted as soon as the story is finished.  I'm also glad to say that I was not the only one that accepted it.  Kallysten has also posted her version of the challenge which can be read by going to .  She is a wonderful writer and I am positive that you will enjoy her telling of the challenge._****

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Coupling:  S/B, S/? for a time.

Rating: PG-13  *Smacks your ass*

Author:  Hostile 17

Disclaimer:  I looked in on my love, sleeping so peacefully on his warm bed.  The way the light from the window shined on his face making him appear to glow.  I thought to myself about how much I loved this man, his characters from BtVS and the brain inside him that thought all of it up.  I gently reached out to touch him, when his eyes opened.  I pulled back when he started screaming "Who are you?  Why are you in my house?!"  I ran to my car and drove into the night screaming that our love would never end.  

A/N:  This is a challenge fic by Kantayra and I have decided to write probably one of many versions.  Thanks to her and I hope you all enjoy.  Oh and thank you Dee for being my Beta.   Set and A/U after Crush.  Oh and I know this belongs in this disclaimer but the Puddle of Mudd lyrics are not mine either.  They belong to the person that wrote the song.  Also anything in italics is a dream or flash back.  Those go to whatever writers wrote them.  

Chapter 1

            Buffy swiftly walked out the door, locking it silently behind her as to not wake up her mom or Dawn.  Her slayer sense went haywire immediately, alerting her that some sort of nasty was near.  'At least tonight won't be boring.'  She thought.  Not wanting to be caught off guard, she grabbed her stake and raised her arm slightly to defend herself from an attacker.

            She warily approached the tree in her yard, confused as to why it would be giving her vibes o' evil.  'Maybe it's a people eating tree.'  Buffy thought, while simultaneously giving her brain visuals of the said tree eating people and frightening herself.  It wasn't until she got within two feet of the trunk that she noticed the cigarettes littered about in a manner that suggested that someone had been waiting for her.    
 

            'Spike.'  She cautiously walked around the tree finding no one and getting frustrated at yet another stalking.  It still boggled her mind as to what he was thinking when he tried to kiss her in the alley.  Shuddering at the thought, she wrapped her arms around herself to stop the barrage of images coming next.  

            _"Buffy will you marry me?"  _More and more images of that day flooded her mind.  Forcing her to remember how happy she was with him.  How good it felt to be in his arms, to feel what it felt to be protected instead of being the protector.  Kissing him, him kissing her.  Knowing that she wanted to make love to him and that he felt the same.   The blinding passion that she had felt for no other man.__

            She growled inwardly.  How could her mind betray her like that?  Every time she tried to think about how disgusting and unwarranted his feelings were towards her, her traitorous mind would bring her to that day.  'It wasn't real.  None of it was real.  The feelings, the kisses, the hugs ,nothing.  It was all a spell.  A stupid good for some lovin spell.  Gah I meant good for nothing.  Nothing.  Yeah that's what I meant.'  Slumping her shoulders in defeat, knowing that she couldn't control her thoughts as much as she wanted she continued to patrol.

            'Maybe tonight will be boring as all hell…mouth.'  "Good God please something happen.  Anything."  She moaned out loud, not caring who was nearby.  Nothing had happened that night.  Most people and usually her would think that a good thing, but she needed to kill something.  Now.  So that she could complain about vampire-y badness of the Spike kind while killing other nasties.  It always seemed to calm her nerves, killing things and talking about Spike.  'As long as people don't know what you're doing when you're thinking about Spike.'  Her nagging voice, shouted once again betraying the much more sensible non lusting after Spike part of her brain.  

            It was as if the Powers That Be had been listening to her that night.  Within two hours of her begging for some action in the slaying department she had killed two vampires, a Krenshlock demon, and four little guys that exploded and ruined her favorite red with the black lace sweater when she kicked them. 'Damn it there goes another fucking shirt.  And this one went all perfect with jean skirt and black boots that I bought yesterday,' she inwardly whined to herself.  It was a wonder thanks to her slaying duties that she had a decent wardrobe anymore.  She walked to the bench near by, sitting, silently hoping to get a little peace after foolishly asking for something to do.  

            Forty-five minutes and a drool stain on her shoulder later; Buffy was startled out of her dream.  'Mmmm dream.  Dreams of Spike lips.  I mean Spike hips, wait, lips sounded much better.  Grrr, stupid subconscious.'  She looked around warily not seeing anything that would have woken her.  Part of her mind was still wondering how she fell asleep in the first place.  A scream broke through her thoughts and she found herself running towards the old school.  The screams increased in intensity and in volume as she approached, then they stopped.  Breaking into a full sprint, she ran faster loudly telling whoever she was saving that help was coming.  'Right Buffy, let's just announce my coming all loud like so that whatever nasty killed Inny McInnocent can kill me next.'  

             When she got there though all she found was a dead demon.  A dead demon, that was getting blue goo on her shoes.  'Eeewww much?'  She lifted her shoes up to inspect the soles finding that the blood was already starting to dry.  After assessing that it was indeed dead, and stinky she walked around looking for the victim.  'Guh, I hope it was all neat and not with the taking out of the guts.  Cause that last guy…'  Her thought never finished, but was instead placed by laughter coming from ten feet away.

            "What's with the face pet?  Something got your knickers in a twist?"

            Refusing to respond that, yes her knickers were in a twist because she had slept funny, she instead rolled her eyes.  

            "Spike what do you want?"  After catching him leering, she changed her demeanor and asked, "What are you doing here Spike?"

            "Nothing luv, just out for a walk.  Care to join?"

            'Yes.'  "No, and don't call me luv."  She caught the surprise in his eyes when her first statement wasn't immediately followed by an insult. 'God his eyes are so blue and inviting.'  Sighing and deciding walking with him if it was for "official" business it wouldn't be that bad she grabbed his duster leading him around the perimeter of the high school.  "Did you hear any screams before I got here?"  

            "Well, yeah.  That beastie over there was attacking some woman.  Broke its neck and she scampered off.  Didn't even get a thank you out of the little chit."  

            Buffy just looked at him as he rambled about how he had been good all these months and not one person had thanked him.  "Not one." He said.  Not even the Scoobies and after all he had done for them, even making with the grand arm motion to show her that he had done a lot.  She didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.   "Spike you have never done anything without motivation or pay.  How have you helped us?

            "Saved your friends from Adam's friends."

            "Before or after helping him split our group?"  She got nothing but a raised eyebrow and a fiend look of innocence.  Again he gave her examples of all his grand deeds, which again she shot all of them down by showing that money or other services where his motivation for it.  

            "I tried to help the Watcher when he was blind."

            "You were in love with me, that's why.  That stupid spell, we all did things we wouldn't normally do."  She looked up and caught his gaze.  Big mistake.  All the emotion that she had seen that day, the day of Spike salty goodness as she liked to call it was still there.  Even more so now.  

            "Buffy…"

            "I don't want to hear it, Spike."  'Fuck, why did I have to mention that stupid god damn spell.'

            "Buffy, Red's spell didn't say anything about love."  He moved in, invading her personal space.  Knowing he was going to get hit if he even tried anything he leaned down and whispered in her ear.  "That came from us."  That did it.  He never even felt her fist, before he went flying.  He landed on his ass, ten feet away.  

            "I could never love you Spike.  You're beneath me."  She saw his face when she said this, and winced.  God she almost hated herself for being so hurtful.  It's was just wrong.  She could never love him, she knew better.  It never worked out.  Anyone she loved would leave.  Everyone.  'He can't love me.  He doesn't have a soul.'  She turned and walked away at a fast pace as to warn him not to follow.  

            "Bitch."  He stood up screaming wanting to kill her and make love to her at the same time.  He hated the effect that she had on him.  She's the slayer, he was supposed to hate her not want to make sure her every whim and desire were fulfilled.  He loved her, and he couldn't stop himself.  He would have killed Dru if she had asked him to.  'This all your fault Dru.  If you wouldn't have left the first time I wouldn't be the slayers lap dog.  Fucking bitch!!!!!' His mind yelled somehow thinking that if he was really loud it would telepathically tell her.  He absentmindedly walked back to his crypt, not even bothering to close the door.  Let some monster do its worse.  'Can't get any lower than this', he thought.  

            Grabbing the JD and bringing the bottle to his lips he thought of the time he had her.  Without the unconscious part that is.  'Maybe I should kidnap Red again and have her work that married mojo again.  Right then, and after she does that I'll probably wake up with out my boys.'  He groaned and fought the urge to just punch something.  Instead he settled on drinking and singing loudly.  

            "Met a slayer, thought she was grand,

             _"What happens Saturday?"  "I kill you."_

             Fell in love with the bitch, got out of hand,

             _"Everywhere I turn, she's there.  That nasty little face, the bouncing shampoo commercial hair…" _

             Went well for an hour or two,

            _  "It's just so sudden.  I don't know what to say."  "Just say yes and make me the happiest man on Earth." _

             Then Red undid her wish and it came unglued.

              _"Ugh. Spike lips.  Lips of Spike."_

             Got trapped, got me a government chip,

            _  "She's haunting me, Harmony!" _

             Never thought I would be the one to trip,

            _  "Buffy, I love you.  God I love you so much.  Oh God no, please no."_

            Then I started to realize,

              _"What are you doing here Spike?"_

             I was living one big lie.

              _"Out for a walk._  Bitch."__

            She fuckin hates me!!!!!!!

            Trust,

             She fuckin hates me!!!!!!!

            La, la, la, love,

            I tried to hard 

            And she tore my feelings like I had none,

            And ripped them away.

            She was my girl for about an hour  
             _"You think were dancing?"  "That's all we're ever done."_

            After that shit got sour   
             _"It wouldn't be you Spike.  It would never be you."_

            She took all I ever had   
             _"You're beneath me."_

            No sign of guilt   
            No feeling of bad, no  
  
            Got trapped, got me a government chip,   
             _"If you want me to leave, then you can put your hands on my hot, tight little body, and make me."_

            Never thought I'd be the one who'd slip  
             _"Look at you.  All afraid that I'm hot for your honey."  "That's because you are."_

            Then I started to realize  
            I was living one big lie  
  
            She fuckin hates me!!!!!!!

           Trust,

            She fuckin hates me!!!!!!!

            La, la, la, love,

            I tried to hard 

             _"Spike why did you do that?"___

            And she tore my feelings like I had none,

             _"Ge-getting in your way?__  I saved you"_

            And ripped them away.

             _"I don't need you Spike.  I never need you."  
  
            That's my story, as you see  
            __"You can't deny it there's something between us."  "Loathing.  Disgust."  "Heat. Desire."_

            Learned my lesson and so did she  
            _ "Oh, yeah, here it comes.  Something goes wrong in your life, blame Spike." _

            Now it's over, and I'm glad   
            'Cause I'm a fool for all I've said 

            _ "Things not as high, not as firm."__  
  
            She fuckin hates me!!!!!!!_

           Trust,

            She fuckin hates me!!!!!!!

            La, la, la, love,

            I tried to hard 

            And she tore my feelings like I had none,

            And ripped them away.

            La la la la la la la la la love  
            Trust  
            La la la la la la la la la love  
            Trust  
            She fuckin hates me!!!

            Buffy watched the vampire with a mix of curiosity and arousal.  He was dancing, not good or anything, but he was moving his hips and she was tempted to jump him all tiger like and fuck him into the ground.  'What's with the animal thoughts?'  She chuckled some what silently when she saw him make his way down the ladder and a second later heard a thud.  'Uh, I hope he's all right.  Wouldn't want him to get any ideas if I ran in there all concerned or anything.'  Deciding that she was done slaying for the night she closed his door and made her way back home.  

            The next day was uneventful.  Class, class, chocolaty goodness at lunch, and then class again.  'Well at least this one is somewhat fun.'  She was in her abnormal psychology class and they were talking about woman who married serial killers.  The teacher gave them assigned groups and their study of crazy ladies in love with the crazier men.  'I should really pay attention more.'  She looked around at her group noticing that one girl was straying away from the group.

            "Hi, I'm Buffy."  Still introducing herself, she took a seat next to the girl.  

            The girl shyly looked at her before extending her hand.  "Desire."

            Two hours later, and the professor coughing loudly at them had Buffy and her new found friend running out of the classing laughing like idiots.  They walked across the quad noticing the lack of student life.  "Well I guess I should walk you to your dorm.  It's pretty dark and you never know what's out there."  Buffy liked this girl.  They had talked about everything from school to old boyfriends to how Giles would look so much better without the tweed.  When they had made it to the girls' dorm the still hadn't finished their debate over who was better looking; Keanu Reeves or George Clooney.  

            "Okay that's it.  We'll agree to disagree on this."  Desire said, still clutching her sides at laughing to hard.  "At least you have someone."

            "Huh?"  Buffy asked, confused.

            "Spike.  You were doodling his name in your notebook all through class."  Desire offered proof by grabbing her note book and opening it to the last used page.

            _Spike.__  Mrs. Buffy Spike?  Mr. and Mrs. Pile O'Dust.  Spike Summers.  It was there.  All the little doodles and hearts were there, in her handwriting.  She laughed and cried; frightened that she didn't even know that she had done that.  How did he do it?  How did he get under her skin like that?  "Um, no he's not.  I mean I'm not.  Guh, this guy, he's in love with me.  Well he says that he's in love with me.  He's lying though, because he can't.  Without a soul you can't love.  Vampires can't love."  Buffy ignored the strange look coming from the other girl and continued.  "I mean come on.  I love you, only after I've tried to kill you and your friends for the past three years.  Oh and now that I've got this chip in my head, I'm so much better.  Whatever.  And then he's all like we dance when we fight.  Pshaw, dancing involves clones and getting turned on at the thought of being with.., okay so we dance and the man has cheekbones that could cut cheese.  But just because I think of him and various food product fun with him doesn't mean I like him."  Finally acknowledging the other girl in the room again, she asked, "What do you think?"_

            Desire looked at her for a full minute before speaking.  "What's wrong with having cheese cutting man love you?

            "Everything.  I know it won't work.  I've been there, done it, got the cute little baby doll shirt that goes with the low rise jeans to prove it.  And that guy had a soul."  Buffy looked at the girl and noticed for the first time that Desire had never once questioned the lack of soul or vampire ness mentioned.  "Doesn't this sound a little crazy to you?  Vampires, lack of soul, etc?"

            "You live here long enough, you see a lot.   When I first moved in here I saw a girl rip the face off her roommate, literally.  She was yelling at her saying Cher is not cool and something about a ruined sweater.  So again why wouldn't a relationship work with this guy?"

            "It's just to complicated.  I wouldn't know how to tell my friends that I'm dating another vampire, the fact that he's not human, blah, blah, and blah.  Everything would be so much easier if he didn't love me."

            That peeked Desire's interest.  "That's what you want to change about him?  You don't want him to love you?"

            "It not that, well, yes and no.  I just want the perfect man and he's not it."  She looked at Desire, seeing that she was intently listening.  

            "What would you change about him?"  She asked, fidgeting with her necklace.

            "Where do I start?"  Buffy asked, missing the glow that was coming from the other girls' throat.    


	2. Pitterpat

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Coupling:  S/B, S/? for a time.

Rating: PG-13  *Does dance of PG-13 rating and shimmies out of my clothes while keeping the underwear on.*

Author:  Hostile 17

Disclaimer:  I woke up confused as to what was going on.  I was in an ambulance, I could tell, I could hear the siren.  "She's up", I heard the man taking my blood pressure saying. I looked around and cried when I could not see my beloved husband.  "Where is he?  Where's the creative genius behind the characters of BtVS?"  They looked at each other, neither knowing what to say.  Finally the one with the needle in his hand spoke.  "Ma'am we were called to the Whedon residence after his wife shot an intruder."  He then looked down at my right thigh as he carefully administered my drugs.  I followed his gaze, 'Funny I don't remember a gaping hole in my leg.'  "My husband will come."  I told them, before drifting into a drug induced sleep.  

A/N:  I just like writing these to feel important.  Thanks to Kantayra for the challenge.  Thank to Dee for being my beta.  Thanks to anyone who reviewed, and to those who didn't I know where you live.  *Sharpens knife*

Chapter 2

            "What would I change about him?  You want a list?"  She asked Desire, almost serious.

            "Be a specific as possible."  She said covering her necklace with one hand, and suppressing her smile by covering it with the other.  D'Hoffryn was not going to pass her over for promotion this time.  She may not be a true "Rip the heart out of man" vengeance demon but she was good at what she did.  'Damn it I deserve corner office, space.' She thought to herself.  Desire looked at Buffy and instantly knew it was going to be a long night.  The girl already had her head on the pillow.

            "Well first I would get rid of the pesky sun allergy thing.   I mean who wants to date a vampire?  Yeah I would make Spike human.   Not the serial killer he is now.  No more vampire badness from him.  None of the, I want to drink from your neck, bathe in your blood talk.  Just the sweet romantic shit you know?"  She asked turning again to the other girl.  "Hmmm what else?"

            "Smoking!!"  Buffy yelled startling the other girl and causing her to spill the drink she was just about to put down.

            "What?  Where's smoke?"  Desire asked, frantically searching the room in vain for any signs of fire.

            "Huh?  No I meant smoking, like cigarettes.  Spike smokes.  Tastes like ash when I kiss him."  Seeing the curious look that she was now getting, she rephrased.  "I mean not that I remember the kissing.  I mean we only kissed because of that stupid spell Willow cast.  I just, yeah he's all smelling and tasting of the ash when we were, uh kissing.  No more smoking.  His breath should be all minty fresh, even in the morning."

            Seeing that Buffy was actually putting serious thought into what needed to be changed about the man, Desire stood up and got food from her cupboards.  'No reason to starve,' she thought.  "Hey you want something to drink?"  

            "Nah.  Me and alcohol are very non-mixy."  As to prove what she had said she showed Desire the face she made when she drank.  "Plus I get trashed after one shot."

            Interrupting, "I meant like water or soda.  Didn't mean to imply that I had the sweet, sweet alcohol here and waiting to be consumed."

            "Oh, then yeah, water please.  Okay so where was I?  Got the human, and smoking.  Drinking?  Did I say drinking?"

            "No."

            "Then that too.  He is all about getting drunk when something doesn't go his way.  Big baby.  My girlfriend of a hundred years left me, drink.  I got a chip in my head, drink.  I love a girl that will never love me back, drinks more.  I swear if he were living he'd be in serious need of a liver transplant."

            "Would you change anything about him physically?  Stronger?  Weaker? Longer legs?  Load-bearing hips?"

            "Load bearing what?" She asked slightly confused about the comment.  "Uh, no I wouldn't change anything."  She thought for a moment, "Except for his hair.  Who's he trying to impress anyway?  Some eighties freak that loves the Billy Idol look?  I would change it to his natural color.  You know that dark chocolaty brown."

            "How do you know is natural color?  Have you two…"  Desire asked, hinting at what could only be sex, or bathing together.

            Choking on the water she had been drinking, she coughed and held a finger to tell Desire she'd answer in a minute.  Buffy looked at her newfound friend hoping that she wouldn't notice the blush in her cheeks.  "No, his eyebrows, they're brown.  He's to lazy to bleach them I guess."  She propped her elbow on the pillow to help her hand support her.  "And while we're on the subject of the times are a changing with him, I'd change is car too.  That Desoto is not a classic; it's a piece of shit.  He's so protective if it.  Like it's his baby.  Pshh and he calls Angel a poofter."  Inwardly, she was laughing at the given name for his grandsire.  She thought it was cute.  

            "So let's go over this, we have human, non-smoker, non-drinker, not an 80's reject that can't get with the times.  Including hair color and cars.  Anything else?"  

            "Tons"

            Desire sat across from Buffy, silently hitting herself.  'Why didn't I just go to Harmony?'

            Two hours later Buffy had still not come up with anything new to change about Spike.  Instead she had rambled about how many of his advances had disgusted her, and yet turned her on at the same time.  "It's weird.  I mean I hated the guy for so long.  He just has this way of getting under my skin.  I guess I would change that too.  The whole sexual innuendo thing, he just uses it way to often.  Okay not really innuendo but more like "Touch me here baby, you know you want to."

            "He said that?  That's like the worst come on line ever."  Desire said, finally alert thanks to the four cups of coffee every thirty minutes.  

            "Well no he did say that, but you can tell he wants to."  Buffy replied, giving Desire a look like, 'If you look into my eyes you'll see it's true.'  

            "What about music?"  

            "What about it?"

            Rolling he eyes before continuing, "Do you like the kind he listens to?"  

            "It's okay.  But, oh, that TV show he watches has to go.  You know that one with the Timmy kid that is trapped everywhere all the time.  Days of our Lives?  No, that's not it.  Oh, Passions.  Yeah that's it.  The guy is like one hundred something years old and he is fascinated by soaps.  Yeah that has to go."  Thinking for a minute and giving Desire some much needed peace she sat up.  "If I made him human, that would come with a soul right?"

            "Yes, I believe it would."

            "Good.  Provided this wish list could actually come true.  That would be a requirement.  Soul equals good.  Can he get a tan too?"

            'Uh, huh.  Sure sweetie.'  Nodding and groaning quietly Desire picked at her nails and waited for the list to end.  

            "His clothes.  He needs color in them.  Not the all black wearing, I'm so depressed clothes.  Nice clothes, like suits and button down shirts, and anything but combat boots.  Oh and that raggedly old duster has to go.  The one he stole from the slayer in New York.  That thing has seen better days."

            "Check color wardrobe, minus the icky jacket."  'Maybe if I throw myself out that window she won't notice.  What this guy sees in her is so beyond me.'  Desire smiled at her new friend, and then lovingly gazed at the window that would offer her sweet, delicious freedom if Buffy didn't shut up soon.  

            "Oh, I know…. an apartment.  Not that ucky, stanky crypt that he calls home.  I mean if you had seen the place, guh.  He's proud of it to, like don't track dirt on my dirt.  He needs to have a kick ass swanky apartment, you know the large ones like on friends.  Oh and one of those round beds, the ones that rotate.  For dizzy sex, goodness.  Not that I've ever had dizzy sex goodness, but I've heard it could be fun.  Okay I haven't so much heard as I watched that HBO sex special last week and now the idea has me all interested."  

            "And he would afford this swanky flat and rotating bed how?  Robbing banks?"

            "Of course not.  Perfect Spike wouldn't steal anything.  He would be all hard working and muscle-y.  Yeah, my Spike would have a job.  Oh and the pet names have to go?"

            "Like?"

            "Luv, pet, slayer all the usual shit he calls me.  It gets damn annoying sometimes.  My name is Buffy.  Well actually its Elizabeth Anne Summers.  Yeppers, no more pet names, even if it is supposed to be all endearing."  

            "You said something about your friends not liking him.  I suppose you would want to change that to?"

            "Well, a world of yes on that question.  Of course the Scoobies would love him.  He'd be a perfect charming gentleman caring for them as much, if not more than I do."  She seemed to smile at the thought.  

            "Okay so that's all you want to change about Spike?"  'Why doesn't she just make him a woman and be a switch hitter for both teams?'  

            "His name."

            "I'm not following."

            "His name is William.  I like it; it's all cute and not scary like Spike.  I mean who names themselves Spike anyways?" 

            'Fuck more rambling.'  Desire smiled, inching ever so slightly towards the window.

            "I'm done.  That's it, that's what I would change about Spike.  Hey why are you opening the window?"

            "Just felt like getting some fresh air."  She replied grinning.  Taking the seat next to her she asked, "You're sure about this?  These changes are your wishes?" 

            "My wishes?  Well yeah."  Buffy stopped when she saw the girls' necklace glowing a bright blue.  "Oh you're a …oh."  She sat back deliberating on whether or not she really want a vengeance demon to grant her wish.  'Don't these things usually have consequences?'  She gave it another moment's thought and looked Desire, "That is my wish."  Then her world went black.

            It seemed like hours, before she woke up.  In actuality it had only been a few minutes.  She shuffled, her feet around trying to find the edge of the bed.  It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she realized she was on the floor.  Pushing herself up she looked around at what looked like Spike's crypt.  'Great, I pass out and the evil undead kidnaps me.  Again.'  Finding a lighter she lit one of the torches lining the wall.  'Funny, it looks like Spike's crypt,' but she couldn't find any evidence of anyone living or un-living there.  Grabbing the torch she slowly made her way to the top level.  Nope, no Spike here either.  She didn't even see his little mini fridge with the pig's blood.  'Weird.'   

            "Buffy?!"  

            'Spike?'  "Spike is that you?  I'm in here."  She shouted back.

            "Where?"

            "In your crypt, dumbass."  Frustrated that he was playing games with her yet again, she groaned and yelled louder.  "Follow my voice."  She kept talking, thinking of various ways to torture him with licorice and possibly whipped cream.  'Guh, he kidnaps me and I'm all about sexual fun.  I am a sick, sick woman.'  She watched as he came into the crypt, her slayer vision giving her the advantage, and without warning lunged at him.

            Grunting could be heard inside the crypt and Willow and Xander became all the more panicked.  They had all gone patrolling and William and Buffy had ended up at the Anderson crypt.  She had been in a mood yesterday and had been talking about kick Will's ass about stupid shit.  Sure he had been kinda mean about her ex-boyfriend Angel but that was no reason to go all homicidal.  

            "What in the bloody hell are you doing Buffy?  

            "What does it look like bleach breath?  Ending you for good, I'm tired of putting up with your shit."

            "My shit?  Listen if this is what I said about Peaches the other day I was just giving you a hard time.  You know that.  I just don't want to see you get hurt again.  He's evil; his soul just hides it well."  

            She shifted her weight to pin him under her.  "Yeah, like I would take any advice a soulless creature like you had to offer."  Raising her stake she looked into his eyes, knowing that it she was doing next would only hurt her more by that action.  "You're a killer Spike; I should have done this years ago."  She closed her eyes and brought the stake down.

            "Killer?!  Spike?!"  He watched in horror as she brought the stake down.  Thankful for his strength he caught it within a millimeter of his heart.  "Elizabeth Anne Summers what the fuck are you on?"

            Startled at being stopped and being called by her full name by Spike of all people, she opened her eyes again.  It was then that she actually noticed the man, under her.  Gone was the head of bleach, the lingering scent of tobacco and liquor, and the man that never needed to take a breath.  Jumping off him, and offering her hand she now looked at the man she was helping up.  

            This man was Spike, but not.  He definitely looked her like Spike, well when the first met, with all the hate and loathing in his eyes. 'Okay so I tried to attack him.  Big deal, I do that like every Tuesday, you think he would be used to it by now.'  His hair wasn't bleach blonde, rather a chocolate brown that mixed perfectly with the tan he was now sporting. 'Tan!!!'  She knew he was looking at her funny but she didn't care.  She paid no mind when he called for Willow and Xander for help.  Her body responded to the Spike look a like when he touched her, much like when the other Spike touched her although then she would never admit it.  She took in the scent of the musk he was wearing that seemed to linger in her nostrils even after he stepped away.  She vaguely heard things being said like "I think she's hit her head.  Nasty bump on the left side," and more stuff about her well being that she paid no attention to.  She found herself studying his clothes.  Gone tonight was the famous ensemble of black on black that he favored, tonight he was dressed in black khaki's, black dress shoes, and a midnight blue shirt.  Okay he hadn't strayed that far on the dressing scale.  "Who you dressing up for Spike?  Is your little bimbo Harmony taking you to feed?"

            "Huh?  Who's Spike?  Harmony?  Didn't you go to high school with her?"

            "Don't play stupid with me.  You may have changed your looks, and got yourself a nice tan without bursting into flames, and dyed your hair all nice and dark, but you aren't fooling me Spike.  Is she helping your impotent ass feed tonight?"  Buffy asked, spitting out each word with venom so that he would get that she was no fool.

            "Hey you are you calling impotent, you stuck up tight ass with no sense of fun, bitch?"  He immediately regretted it when she hit the floor.  Running to her side, he scooped her up into his arms and into the car.  The Scoobies raced to the emergency room, all telling her in her bouts of consciousness that she would be all right.

            At least this time when she woke up she was surrounded by friends and family.  Even if that included Spike.  "Mom, what happened?"  

            "Honey, the doctor said you hit your head when you were slay-working.  It seems to have caused a concussion."  She pointed to the doctor now talking to Spike, "He said that once you wake up he would run some tests so that you could go home as soon as possible.  We all know how much you hate hospitals.  You be out of here soon sweetie."  Joyce assured her by placing a kiss on her forehead.  

            Buffy sat up; now noticing who all was in the room.  The doctor her mom had referred to was walking to her.  It was Ben. "Hey you, long time no see.  Well I guess that's a good thing seeing as how you work in a hospital."  She said trying to joke, but only getting a confused look from him and a snicker from Spike.  "So, uh yeah, when can I leave?"

            Thirty minutes later and a cup full of pee later and she was on her way to walking out the door.  Okay not walking, but wheeling.  'Stupid hospital policies.'  Spike had taken this opportunity to grab the wheelchair and race her down the hallway.  No one had stopped him, so she went along with the wheelchair racing fun.  'Or maybe he's racing because he stole blood.  Mother fucker stole blood didn't he?  Now he's using the excuse of getting me out of here all fast so he can have his O negative sweetness.  Asshole.'  She silently fumed promising to give him a good ass- whooping as soon as they got outside.  It wasn't until she spotted through the open sliding door that the sun had risen.  

            She instantly hit the brake, in effect sending him flying over her and outside.  The exact opposite of what she had wanted to do.  She watched in horror as he flew out into the sunny weather that defined southern California.  Within a second she was by his side, clutching to him screaming.  Her mind, and thoughts were going all over the place and trying to prepare her for what was about to happen.  Incoherent, she began sobbing, and laid her head down to his chest and waited.  Waited for him to burst into flame, then to dust.  It was then she heard a sound from Spike that pierced her heart like no other.  

            A heartbeat.


	3. And We're Off

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Coupling:  S/B, S/? for a time.

Rating:PG-13.  *Gyrates to "I feel pretty", as the crowd cheers.  I know I'm going to make it on "Girls Gone Wild" this year.*

Author:  Hostile 17

Disclaimer:  It had been a long full day of work and I was glad to be home.  I silently slipped off my clothes once reaching the bedroom and quickly climbed into bed.  I slept for what seemed like hours before morning approached and the daylight filtered in through the blinds.  I rolled over and opened my eyes to find four armed guards and two police officers over me.  "Joss is playing that trick again, huh?  The one where he has me arrested and gives me that silly court order to stay away?"  They looked at me as if I had grown a second head and ordered me to the ground.  After hand cuffing me they led me sown the staircase where I saw my "husband", the creative genius behind BtVS, crying in another woman's arms.  I mouthed, "One day my love, we'll be together," before taking my seat in the back of the car.  

A/N:  Yeah I'm a sick, sick woman.  You'll learn to like that in a while though.  J  Just sit back and enjoy the show.  Thank you Dee for being my beta.  Oh and dude, to the girl that reviewed Dee's story that was all sick like, like we are, a big hug to you sweetheart.

Chapter 3

            Breathing, she heard breathing.  Not sure if it was her own she looked up and into the very confused eyes of Spike.  He was still, alive.  Alive.  He was a living breathing human being.  A man.  She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  Desire had really done it.  She made him perfect.  Rising so that she was now eye level with him she looked at him, almost in awe.  She inspected the scar on his eyebrow, tracing it lightly with her finger.  Buffy then moved her hand to his cheeks, while her thumb explored the softness of his lips.  Those lips, she could kiss them now without feeling guilty about not being ashamed.  

            William watched her, each second his concern growing.  He had never seen her look at him like that before.  Her eyes seem to have a mixture of pain, confusion, laughter, and he was probably imagining it, but desire.  His face tingled where she seemed to be inspecting him, touching him.  He wondered what had caused the freak out, first in the crypt and now.  At first he thought that she had come running to his side because he might have been hurt.  When she started sobbing though, it became apparent that something else was going on in her mind.   She had seemed so scared, like she was well, losing him.  Not knowing how to react, he just looked at her not moving a muscle.   It wasn't until she leaned in to kiss the lips that she had been exploring with her thumb that he stood up, abruptly.  'Bloody girl has lost her mind.'

            After the almost kissing incident the group had each walked to their respective cars and parted ways.  Leaning her head against the window, Buffy let out a frustrated sigh.  She didn't have to be ashamed of her feeling anymore.  She didn't have to hide anything anymore, and when she goes to kiss him he went all wonky.  'That's what I do.  He goes to kiss me and I get all weirded out for no good reason other than the fact then my friends will freak.  Now he's doing it?  What kinda stupid wish land was this?'  She thought her mind racing as to what she might have done wrong.  She hadn't come up with anything by the time they reached the house and she was still confused as ever.  

            Everything was the same right?  Except for the changes she made to Spike everything was fine.   Her mom was recovering, Dawn was doing all right in school and the Scoobies were still here.  Putting it out of her mind, she made her way to the kitchen and whipped up some hot chocolate with little marshmallows.  'Mmmm choclately goodness always heals near death experiences.  Okay not near death, hell chocolaty goodness solves everything.  Except weight gain.'  Shaking her head she drank the rest of her drink and called Giles.  Not knowing what else to do she decided that more research on Glory was need.  "Maybe Spike will be there.  Maybe he'll be naked.    Maybe he'll do a striptease, to like "Pour some sugar on me."'  Buffy was shaken out of her somewhat delicious thoughts when Dawn entered the kitchen asking what Buffy was looking at.  Blinking and adjusting her eyes to actually look at something she scanned the yard.  'Shovel, old sock, people having sex net door, rose bush, and fence.'  She glanced again at the neighbors thinking she should try that position before turning to Dawn.  "Somebody left an old sock on our yard." She told her sister, a smile forming on her face.  

            Dawn gave her a half believing look and went back into the living room.  'Sock my ass.  She was watching our kinky new neighbors.'  

            Hours later they had all assembled at the Magic Box.  Even Spike, although to her disappointment he wasn't naked or seemingly willing to do a strip tease.  And she had even brought a tape.  She found herself looking at him through the corner of her eye.  Watching his every movement, the way he unconsciously licked his lips when reading about hell-gods or the way he would mess with his curls when reading wasn't telling him anything new.  She wanted to touch him, to be all kissy with him, to rip off his clothes in such a frenzied fashion that he wouldn't know what hit him until he was deep inside her.  But to actually say that might scare him, that or make him suspicious.  Glancing at her book she thought of plausible excuses to get the two of them alone.  'Maybe I should be all blunt like Anya.  "Excuse me guys but I would like it if Spike and I went into the other room so that he can please me with many orgasms."  Uh, no.  Or maybe I can say "Due to the excessive noise out her I think it wise for Spike and I to research in the training room."  And then I would get the crazy looks.  Gah why is this so hard!!!'  It was then that Giles spoke up and gave her the perfect idea.

            "Buffy in light of the recent mishaps you've had with Glory…" 

            "And by mishaps you mean ass kicking's?"

            "Er, yes, well I was just thinking that maybe we could step up on your training.  Perhaps you could come here after school and we could…."

            "That's it!"  Buffy said almost to excited about the prospect of training.  "I mean you right.  I should start train more.  And sparring, lots of sparring.  With people.  Like Spike.  Spike's good to spar with.  Come on Spike let's spar, now."  Her enthusiasm was met with confused faces and a cough from Xander.  "What I think that Giles is right, a jumpy kicky prepared Buffy is better than gets her ass kicked every time I meet with hell goddess Buffy."

            "Buffy, who's Spike?"  Willow finally asked, confusion still playing on her features.  

            It was Buffy's turn to be confused.  Had they all gone mad?  I mean he was sitting right there.  All smug like, okay not smug but a bored slash sexy look on his face.  It's not like when she turned him human she, oh wait she did.  They didn't know about Spike and his bleached blond hair.  No one knew about the man that would have jumped at the first chance had she offered a rough and tumble.  She decided to cover.  

            "William, I meant William.  I just thought that would be a cute nickname for him.  You know like rascal, or evil undead."  This got her more confused looks.  "Come on he has pet names for us.  You're Red and Glinda, he's the whelp, Anya's Demon girl, Giles got The Watcher and I'm usually Slayer, Pet, or Luv."

            This time William interrupted.  "Buffy I'm beginning to think the hospital released you a wee bit early.  The only name besides Buffy that I have ever called you is bitch."  He didn't know what the hell she was on but he was determined to get his hands on it and take some himself.  She had been acting weird since the graveyard and today was no different.  Screaming when he fell, trying to kiss him, and watching him when she thought he wasn't looking.  And he wasn't sure but he thought he saw a Def Leppard tape in her purse.  It was weird and out of character.  Not even two days ago she had been ready to kill him for saying that Angel was a poofter and that she deserved better.  Okay there had been some cussing and throwing of arms but it didn't explain her behavior now.  Anything was better than reading about Glory, the goddess of no information whatsoever.  He indulged Buffy's request and motioned to the training room.  "You up for a tumble?"

            'That's Spike all right.'  Buffy thought a smile forming on her face.   

            They both walked silently to the back room.  Taking the time to stretch and relax their muscles, they both thought about how to defeat the other.  It wasn't often that Spike beat Buffy, but occasionally it happened.  It wasn't until he had got his black belt in three different martial arts that she seriously looked at him like an equal.  At least in the fighting sense.  Their relationship was weird.  He had met the three of them when they were in high school and he was in college.  Buffy had been the only one who hadn't warmed up to him.  Sure they had made their alliances with each other but she never seemed to give him the light of day.  All they did was bicker and banter with each other.  Each trading blows until one was hurt and ran off.  In the past year or so he had been helping out more, with Scooby stuff and with research, maybe now she would drop whatever grudge she held against him.  Deciding to put the idea of actual peace out of his head, he dropped and started doing pushups.  

            Buffy turned around as he began his pushups.  'To be the ground under that body.'  She almost shivered at the thought.  She walked over to him, lightly brushing his skin, relishing the way it felt under her fingers.  "You ready?"  

            And so it began.  It felt somewhat weird to her though.   Sure the moves were there but she felt like he was holding back, or rather that they both were.  He was ready for her moves but he wasn't hitting her back, He was just defending himself.  She stopped suddenly, not realizing that he was still swinging.  Less then a second later she was on her back and in shock.  

            "Now that's better."  She said to William as he lent her his hand so that she could be back in the standing position.  Again this was met with a hint of surprise.  Okay, not so much a hint rather a strange mixture of confusion and horror on his face.  "Jesus, since when do you just stand there and not do anything about it.  Where's the dance?  Where's the whole "I wanna beat the shit out of her attitude?"  I get more out of puffy Xander than I do you.  Fight damn it!  Like you want to kill me."

            He began to wonder if that feeling was to far off.  He stepped back, giving her the signal for a break trying to get into the killing her frame of mind.  'Think about what she said about Dru; think about her not telling us that Angel was back, think about Riley and the way she let him talk to you.  Think about how she made a fool of you during all the nights of slaying, talking about your latest failure with woman, talking shit about your poetry.  Okay the poetry was bad, granted but she didn't have to shove it in his face whenever convenient.'  He looked up, his blood boiling and roared.  

            'Did he just roar?'  Buffy thought before looking up to see him rushing at her.  'Aww shit.'  She lunged out of his way in just enough time as to not get hit.  This was it, this was dancing.  They were matching each others moves and dancing to the same beat.  For every attack there was a counter attack.  Grunts were the only sound heard in the room.  The fire in their eyes never dimming, their breath becoming more ragged as the fight proceeded.  Sure it hurt when they got hit, but it felt even better to get the hit in.  To release all of their frustrations on each other.  Each of them had got the other on the floor, pinning their form to the mattress only to have the pinned one fight the other off within seconds.  Yes it was a good dance.  An exhausting one too.  They had only been sparring for 45 minutes when William's arms began to lose some of their force and he began to lose the fight.  

            First she had kicked him in the gut with a roundhouse kick, and seemingly at the same time the shirt that he was wearing was somehow torn and now the right half was hang to his side.  Then as he ducked to avoid being hit she slammed him in the back of the knees.  He didn't remember how, but he remembered falling.  Then the final blow came sending him straight to the mat with no chance of recovery.  She quickly took this chance to grab a stake and startle him.  

            "You're dead."  She said pointing the stake directly above his heart.  

            It should have ended with that, but she stayed there.  Straddling him and not moving, instead putting more of her weight on him.  Shifting herself so that now her hips were directly over his.  Her face moved in closer, a smirk playing on her mouth and a glint in her eye that he knew so well but had never seen directed at him.  Lust.  He was seeing things, he had to be.  But she was leaning in, licking her lips in anticipation.  'Bloody hell she's insane.  Glory did that suck your brain out and make you all bonkers thing on her.  It has to be.'  

            She felt him move under her, disappointment at the lack of arousal that was usually there when they fought.  Looking into his eyes confused her even more.  The lust, the thrill of the fight, the adrenaline from the dance weren't present.  Instead she found him looking at her with questions in his eyes.  Leaning forward she went to erase any questions he had about what she wanted.  Closing her eyes she parted her lips then she felt like she was flying.  She was in a sense flying, he had taken the opportunity to buck his hips, and at the same time grabbing on to hers send her flying over his head.  Landing with a thud and "umphh" she turned and glared.  "What the fuck was that?"

            William looked at her.  'She's asking me what the bloody fuck I'm doing.  Where the bleeding hell has she been the last forty minutes.'  He shook his head not knowing how to interpret her recent change in attitude towards him.  He supposed he should look at it as a gift from God.  She was actually treating him like man rather than someone that she tolerated because he was around.  He wanted to ask her what was going on, what she was thinking.  He wondered if red had done another spell.  Color rose into his cheeks remembering the magic engagement.  They had been all over each other, touching and caressing.  Saying naughty things that would make a sailor blush.  His eyes wandered over to meet hers and just as he was about to ask what was going on Xander entered the room.  

            "Hey we heard some yelling.  Not that it's new or anything, but whoa what happened to your shirt?"  Xander said motioning to the still torn fabric that William was wearing.  

            "Buffy decided that this was clothing optional fight."

            Xander looked at Buffy.  Buffy could have cursed her body at betraying her.  She felt the blush rise in her cheeks and her panties become all the more soaked.  She knew that neither of the two could be noticed from where she was standing but it was still new to have these feelings for him and not be frightened of them.  "What did you need Xan?  

            "We're all tired of the researching but not coming up with anything.  Thinking about going to The Bronze, you guys game?"  He asked looking at Buffy and thinking of clothing optional wrestling time with her.  'Stupid fantasies, at least this time she can't read my mind.'  He continued smiling and staring off into space getting him strange looks from the two others present.   

            "Yeah sounds good mate.  Just let me go home and change."  

            They had all made plans to go home and change and then eventually meet at Spike's place.  Buffy had never been so giddy.  She practically ran her mother over trying to reach her room for the perfect outfit.  It was like Angel all over again, except without all the danger and brooding.  The excitement of looking into his eyes while their bodies moved to its own beat, the look of longing that she would see as he pulled her tight into his embrace.  Yes tonight she would show him exactly how she felt.  'How do I feel?'  Sitting on the bed she silently convinced herself it was all the changes that she asked for that were letting her feel this way.  'I never liked Spike, never.  He was evil, he didn't have a soul, he was, and well he wasn't that bad.'  Groaning at the path her mind was taking, she absentmindedly picked up whatever was on top.  

             They had all been ready in under an hour and they were now on the way to William's.  'William.  It almost doesn't sound real.  "That's because it isn't!"  The other part of her mind shouted out to her.  Shaking her head as to make the thoughts fall out she looked at the road and noticed they were entering a more expensive part of Sunnydale.  They came to a stop outside what looked like a hotel.  Entering the building after confirming with the desk clerk that they were in fact on a guest list they made their way up to his apartment.  

            To say she was amazed at her wish for him was an understatement.  As soon as she entered the apartment she began exploring.  The floors were a dark hard wood, giving it that old fashioned look.  The fire in the living room giving it an eerie but intimate glow.  The couches were made of a plush material that was incased in leather, and of course in black.  'If it's not one thing, it's another.'  She thought, thinking of the duster of Old Spike.  He had a top of the line entertainment center with all the best equipment and the newest products.  She fingered through his DVD collection finding a lot of Monty Python, James Bond, and Dr. Who.  Rolling her eyes she turned her attention to the artwork on the walls.  She recognized the first one as being 'Starry Night.' She remembered her mom vaguely mentioning that Spike and her had talked about it, well before he chained her up and threatened to feed her to his ho bag ex.  She shuddered at the memory trying to remember that William wasn't that man.  He was better.  Moving to the second one she let out a gasp.  It was her.  Her and the gang laughing, it seemed like.  It was drawn in such precision in charcoal and it was amazing.  Looking n vain for the signature she finally located it the artists name bringing a smile to her face.  William Sinclair.     There were more sketchings of the gang both together and apart.  She walked around the room, ignoring quizzical looks from her friends and set off to explore the other parts of the apartment.  

            The kitchen, office and bathroom had pretty much been standard.  No real surprises there.  Okay one surprises she almost died of silent laughter when she open his medicine cabinet to reveal a box of condoms.  She had been relieved to find no woman products or extra tooth brushes.  Now on the forbidden fortress.  His room.  

            She heard him out on the balcony talking to whomever and swiftly and stealthily entered his room.  Then she died and went to heaven.  It was exactly as she had thought when she had wished for it.  Immediately she found herself going to the bed.  It was round and covered in dark green silk sheets, the light from the dimmed lamps making oh so inviting.  She touched the silk, letting it glide in between her fingers and caress her palm.  She wanted to just climb in but that would be crazy, wouldn't it?  'Or would it?'  After seconds of fighting with her mind she decided to leave the getting into bed until she was asked, venturing instead to pick up a pillow to smell his scent.  Buffy picked up a black pillow that looked worn with use.  Bringing it to her nose she took a deep breath, inhaling all of his scent.  She looked at the pillow as if it had done something wrong.  It didn't smell right.  Sure it smelled like William, but it didn't smell like Spike.  She found herself becoming slightly disappointed that the pillow had no lingering scents of tobacco, alcohol, and bleach.  'That's what you wanted, right?'  She thought to herself wondering if that was really true.  Setting the pillow down, she made her way over to the dresser. 

            Like all the other wooden furniture in his house it was a cherry colored oak, the knobs of the drawers were a matte silver Celtic design.  Carefully and without making noise to alert the still talking William she opened the top drawer and found boxers.  'Boxers!!!  I didn't ask for that.'  The red now steadily invading her cheeks as she remembered how she knew that he went commando. 'Stupid spell.'  She continued to invade each one of the drawers and it was in the last one, the drawer nearest to the bed and eye level when on it that she found the toy surprise, a button.  Curiosity won over her rational mind and she pushed it.  Buffy yelped in surprise when the bed near her began to vibrate.  That in turn alerted William to a presence in his room and she panicked when she saw him turn around to come back in.  Without giving it a second shot she ran into his closet hoping to avoid the questions and looks when he realized she had been snooping.

            William rushed into his room, finding no one but finding everything else out of place.  His boxers and socks were sticking out of their respective drawers and his bed was now vibrating.  He walked over to his dresser, pushing in the button to shut it off rather than going through all of the other motions that the bed was designed for.  Straightening out the somewhat messed up sheets and pillow formation he looked around trying to find the offender.  It wasn't until her heard a muffled cough that he looked at the closet.  'Probably Xan and Red playing tricks again.  Wankers.'   Putting on his best 'I'm angry but you really know I'm not' face he opened the door to find Buffy looking at his clothes.  'Oh bugger, what the hell was the chit up to now?'  

            "Um, Buffy, did you lose your way?"  

            "I was looking for the bathroom?"  She said, almost posing it as a question.  'God how am I going to get out of this?'  She watched as he put his head down and his body began to vibrate.  'Shit I pissed him off.'  It wasn't until he met her eyes again that she realized that he was laughing.  Buffy didn't remember seeing her Spike that happy.  'Her Spike?'  His smile seemed to bring out the laughter in his eyes as well.  

            "Come on out before I convince myself that bump on your head isn't affecting all the parts of your brain."  He extended his hand and they went to greet the others in the living room.  Once they had checked each other for evil lint monsters and stray hairs they went out for a night on the town. 

            'Tonight is gonna be wild,' she thought noting that music and alcohol would provide the perfect opportunity for closeness.


	4. Baby got back

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Coupling:  S/B, S/? for a time.

Rating: PG-13.  *Kisses you hard then, grabs your boob* you know you like it. 

Author:  Hostile 17

Disclaimer:  I closed my eyes as he leaned in.  His lips brushed against mine soft at first, then with a passion unforeseen in any man before him.  He laid me down against the bed slowly pulling my clothes off and teasing me with anticipation.  Just as we were about to take that next step up in our relationship he whispered, "Rise and shine mother fuckers, it's a brand new day."  I woke up, my mind hazy from being startled like that.  I then remembered where I was.  Prison.  Sure, you send a guy pictures of his tied up wife and you gallivanting in his house and all the sudden you're a stalker.  Oh and he really got pissy when I forgot to mention that the characters were his.   "Hey Dee, Jingles wait up…."  The lyrics belong to Janet Jackson.  Ms. Jackson if you're nasty.  Other lyrics belong to other people respectively.

A/N:  Dee thanks as always, for being my beta, best friend and twisted sister.  Without you I probably wouldn't be stalking Joss in this nifty car. To Kantayra you rock for presenting this challenge.  To random people walking on the streets of New York, quit flipping me off.  To the soldiers halfway across the world, our prayers are with you and we hope for your safe return.  *Continues to ramble for like four hours.*  Buffy's outfit can be found at the SMGfan website.

Chapter 4

            They had got to The Bronze after much fussing about who was sitting in the front seat.   Here they were all grown up and sitting in the front passenger seat still held the same fascination as it did when they were six.  It wasn't until Willow had called "Shotgun," that everybody proceeded to get into the back seats.  Apparently everyone had forgotten that "Shotgun." Was the ultimate word to front seat passenger goodness.  All that aside it was looking to be a good night.  

            Buffy almost trembled at the touch of William's hand on the small of her back.  It was weird to know that it was "Spike?" touching her yet his hands were warm and almost caressing.  She would no longer shiver at the lack of heat from his touch, only to be warmed by the same hands a split second later.  It disturbed her to think that she was missing that.  Brushing the thought aside she looked at he man behind her.  He smiled at her and she smiled back noting that there wasn't a smirk there.  'He always smirks; lets me know that I'm wanted.  Lets me know that he wants some Buffy goodness.'  She shook her head somewhat harshly to stop the thoughts that were now flying at her.  'Yet another thing you changed.  Another thing that you liked but couldn't admit it and now it's gone.  You're stupid.'  'No you're stupid.'  'Listen biatch....'  She almost laughed at the now bitter fight that her mind was having with itself.  While it was true that she didn't like one or two of the changes she had made it wasn't like she wasn't happy.  She had the perfect man to love.   He was attentive, strong, attractive, human, everything she ever wanted.  

            The gang made their way to the tables and took their seats.  William had volunteered to get the first round of drinks and they made their selections.  She watched him as he went to the bar and instead of telling the bartender their orders went behind the bar and started mixing the drinks himself.  He was graceful and seemed to know what he was doing.  It was when he walked out of the bar area without paying for them that she hopped out of her seat, readying a conversation that told him why stealing was wrong.  And once she found demon girl she would get a piece of her mind too.  "I said no stealing.  I know I did.  Maybe I should have asked for no stealing of anything, What if she only took that as "No more stealing of my underwear and shirts by him."  Maybe I could have added he walks around naked all day.  No, he walks around half naked whenever he's around me.  And flexes.  Lots of flexing.'  

            William watched as Buffy hopped from her seat coming directly for him and then seemingly stop to just stare in his vicinity.  The frown that had first been there and turned into a smirk and she was beginning to lightly rub her chest.  If he wasn't so intrigued about why she was practically molesting herself in front of others he probably would have stopped her sooner.  It wasn't until she was bumped into by a fellow club goer that he snapped out of it.  "Buffy, you okay?  You look a little flush."

            The fact that she had almost been sent to the ground snapped her out of her illusions.  She looked at William and then at the dream offender.  Desire.  Desire had taken her out of endless fantasies of Spike flexing while she rode him into sexual oblivion.  Facing Desire she went off.

            "He's stealing!  Stealing.  I said no stealing, drinking, nothing.  He's a god damn alcoholic remember?  Mr. Everything in my life sucks now I have to drink guy.  This is not what I asked for."  She would have continued but a tap on her shoulder stopped her.

            "Buffy, what in the bleeding hell are you babbling about?  Stealing?  Drinking?  You didn't ask for it?"  It confused him even more when she motioned to the drinks on his tray.  When his brain and his thought process finally made the connection.  "Oh you're talking about me stealing the drinks?"  The roll of her eyes and crossing of her arms seemed to confirm this.  "Buffy, I own The Bronze remember?  Remember in 1999 when I bought it from that Nancy boy's father.  The place was a vampire haven and now look at it.  And as far as the alcohol goes, I don't touch the stuff."  His head motioned to the lone water on the tray.  "You know that Buffy.  Ever since, Mum…."  He didn't finish his sentence.  Instead he looked at her remembering her words to the other girl.  "What do you mean this isn't what you asked for?  What did you ask for?"  

            Buffy wanted to kill herself for speaking to soon.  'This isn't Spike.  You should have let him explain before going all wacko.'  She looked at Desire to offer an explanation.   Instead she found Desire actively drooling and checking out the salty goodness that was William.  Had she been any closer she would have been humping his leg.  "Um actually that wasn't about you."  A roll of his eyes was enough to tell her he wasn't buying it.  "Really.  Desire and I are working on a play.  It's this play about a girl that makes a wish about this guy she likes right Desire?"  She looked over to Desire to confirm.

            "Huh?  What?  Uh, yeah a play.  A play with sweet delicious men like yourself.  I mean, yeah it's this play were the main girl falls for this guy that isn't so right for her.  Well she meets this woman that grants her one wish."

            "Like a genie?  Does she get to wear sexy outfits?"  Spike asked, interested in what Desire was saying.

            "Um sure.  So anyways said girl makes this wish so that the guy will be perfect for her and that's kinda all we have so far."  

            "Huh?  Well how does it end?"  

            "I don't know.  Buffy and I haven't got to that part yet."  She said looking at the somewhat relieved girl.  Desire couldn't for the life of her figure out why she had changed the man.  She thought back to the changes Buffy had made and couldn't see what needed to be changed.  This guy, while good looking and polite struck her as someone boring and with no sense of humor.  "Hey I'm Desire, Dee for short."  She said, finally introducing herself.  "Wanna dance?"

            William looked at her and then to Buffy who seemed to be steaming at this suggestion.  'She just keeps getting weirder and weirder by the minute.  Maybe I should cut her off at two drinks.  Hell she might go all 'Beer Bad Buffy' again.'  He shuddered at the memory.  "Sure."  HE handed the drinks to a now very teed of looking Buffy and took the girl to the dance floor before she could open her mouth.  

            Buffy couldn't believe her eyes.  Or Dee, 'short for Desire' her mind said in a sarcastic voice.  She looked over to the gang and saw that they were still eagerly awaiting their fruity alcoholic refreshments, sighing and deciding she could brood with friends she made her way over to the table.  "Can you believe him?  Mr. I own this bar and girls want to dance with me.  I mean sure he's all respectable now and has like this great apartment, but what happened?"  She received nothing but blank stares in her direction.  "Gah.  Forget it!!!"  'Don't they remember what he used to be like?  With the cussing, the drinking, the attitude, and most importantly well his feelings about me?  Of course they don't this isn't the real world.  They know him to be this perfect guy I made him into.'  Her head went down automatically, her mind fighting with itself about the decision she had made.    Grabbing her drink to shut up the noises in her head she looked for William and Dee as the song began to pound above and around her.

You know you want me  
you want this  
  
My girls  
Been goin 'round talkin  
They say that you been  
Watchin me boy  
I know  
By the way you're talkin  
That you're really tryin  
To get to me boy

Not anyone I'll just let in my heart  
You have to be hungry for me  
Girls may have been easy  
But you have to please me  
What makes me think that I can say this to you  
I know how bad you want this  
  
If you want my future then  
You better work it boy  
No it won't come easy no  
I know you want this  
By the time I'm through with you  
You'll be beggin me for more

William brought Dee closer to him.  The song offered them a chance to move together as one and he made sure to show her that.  The steady beat and the vibrations going through him made him want to take her to the balcony and shag her senseless.   Whoever had pushed this on the jukebox was getting free drinks for the night. He didn't know what it was about her but the thought of doing things to a total stranger being wrong quickly flew out of his mind.  She seemed to understand the song like he did.  Use it for a good dry hump and move on to the next.   He grabbed her hips grinding against her, happy to see that she was more than happy to respond to it my matching the intensity of the thrusts against each other.   

You want this  
  
I know  
Your whole story  
Because you're fine and  
And you know it  
You think  
That you can have me  
Just listen closely  
No it ain't so easy  
Every word  
You've said I have heard before  
  
Girls may have been easy  
But you have to please me  
One thing I've been told  
Nothin else compares  
To this lovin body

            Dee's eyes rolled back in almost ecstasy as William grinded against her, cupping her ass to bring her up and making it to where she was almost riding the noticeable bulge in his pants.   Her left hand had found its way to his has and was now squeezing it tightly and pushing it towards her.  'Jesus why Buffy made that wish is beyond me.  This guy is about to get me off by dancing with me, and she didn't want him to…,' her thought process was cut off when she felt a nibble at her neck.  The sensation made its way up to her ear and then to her mouth.  His teeth slowly nibbled at her lip s as to ask for permission for his tongue to enter.  She obliged by parting her lips and was met with a kiss that made her forget where she was and what she was doing there.  'Oh God. I'm in heaven,' was the last coherent thought that entered her mind before being torn from him.

If you want my future then  
You better work it boy  
No it won't come easy no  
I know you want this  
By the time I'm through with you  
You'll be beggin me for more

You want this  
Don't you  
You want this  
Say it  
  
You want this  
You know it's just true  
You want this  
You know it  
You want this  
You know it's just true  
You want this  
You know it  
  
You want this?  
You want this?  
Can you handle this?  
Well come here then

            Buffy watched in horror as the man that she had wished for and the demon she wished from continued to dance like they were doing it standing up.  She watched as Dee's head rolled back and her eyes glazed over in pleasure.  Their hands grabbing each others asses helping the grinding and now what was looking like riding of William all that mush closer.   Buffy squeezed her eyes shut hoping that it was all a dream but when she opened them she saw something worse.  He was nibbling at her neck in an almost vampire like fashion.  Quickly setting her drink down and ignoring all the conversation around her she made her way towards the two on the dance floor.  She wasn't able to reach them in time to stop what she saw next, they were kissing, hard.  Using her slayer strength she tore through the rest of the crowd, even pushing some people over in order to stop the kissage.  Seeing that they were practically interlocked with one another she did the only thing she could think of at the moment, she tore Dee off her man and then made a lame ass excuse as to why she did it.  

            "Buffy what the hell did you do that for?"  They both asked simultaneously.  

            She turned to William, "I thought she was attacking you."  

            William looked at her and then to Dee who had a smile on her face.  She didn't seem too surprised about the randomness of Buffy's action or care about Buffy's lame excuse.  He looked over at the blonde who was now glaring at Dee.  "Buffy, the attack was warranted and more than welcome."  He then turned to Dee, "Luv go tell Scott that drinks for you are on the house tonight."  He gave her a hug and reminded himself to catch up with her later.   Again he turned his attention on the blonde that was now trying to look very hard to look like she felt bad for splitting him and his dance partner up.  "Elizabeth what the hell is going on?  You're acting weird.  And it's not just now.  I mean ever since the bleeding graveyard, you've been off our fucking rocker.   First you attack me in the crypt, then at the hospital you freak out when I fall.  Crying like I'm gonna burst into flame or some shit.  What was next?"  He said out loud, although it was apparent that he was talking to himself.  "Ah yes, then you tried to get all freaky with me in the training room.  I'm not even going to ask what you were doing in my closet and now this."  He sighed not knowing if he really wanted to ask the next question.  "Buffy, why are you acting like this?"

            Buffy had winced when he used her first name instead of the one he usually called her by, and with love, tenderness and all that other shit.  She then stood and listened to his rant about her behavior and why she was weird now.  'I wonder how I acted before.'  Then the final question from him came, his eyes looked so tired when it came to dealing with her.  'I must have been a bitch to him before like I was with Spike.  Except without all the monster related stuff.'  She found herself wondering what on earth would make this Spike/William whatever love her as much as the other Spike did.  Even if this Spike didn't show or tell her as much as the other one did.  'I've probably told him that there was no way in hell so many times that he might just be taking my advice to move on now.'  She thought hard about how to answer that last question and came up with, "Acting like what?"

            "Like you actually give a shit.  Like we have been best friends for the longest of time.  I've been working beside you since the day we met and now you're finally noticing?"

            'Shit, I was a bitch to him before.  I should take this a little slower than I planned.'  "I just, I just, I guess you're right.  I have been horrible and I know that my behavior must be confusing you.  I've thought long and hard about what friendships, working relationships, and relationships are and I realize now that I never gave you a fair chance.  You deserve to be treated better, as part of the group.  As one of my friends, as someone that deserves what I can give them.  You have done everything you can to help us and I want you to know that I appreciate it.  I want to start fresh.  Okay?" 

            He looked at her not knowing what to believe.  He already was a part of the group it was just Buffy that ignored it and pushed her opinions of this onto the others.  Not that they really paid attention, most of them thought it was sexual tension anyway.   It was hard for her to admit when she was wrong so he took that as some sort of sign that she was in fact telling the truth.  Finding nothing in her eyes to reveal otherwise he looked at her and winked.  "All right."  

            The next three hours seemed to fly by.  After the two of them went back to the table they had all ordered more drinks.  Well not Spike being that he was the designated driver, but the rest were having alcoholic fun. The group was enjoying a now fight free era between Buffy and William.  The girls watched spike and Xander go head to head in a pool game, and watched each man do an impression of something almost apelike when they lost or didn't make a shot.  It was turning out to be a great night and she wanted to make it a little better.  Shimming out of her seat she found her way to William at the bar.

            Wrapping his arms around his waist and standing so that her lips now reached his ear she whispered,"Hey stranger."  

            Startled he turned around to face the blonde.  He looked appreciatively at the outfit she had worn that night.  The gold halter top glittered against her skin and lights made it come alive.  The front of it made it to where he had a clear view of the top of her cleavage and down her shirt if he chose.  The white pants that she was wearing seemed to be painted on.  Each curve highlighted whenever she moved in them, a sway in the hips here, a gyrating of the hips there and he was suddenly finding himself looking at Buffy Summers that wanted his attention.  He leaned into her making sure that their bodies pressed together with no space left between them.  He hadn't been this close to her since the spell and it felt interesting to say the least.  It had just registered that she was still talking, something about new found relationships or some prattle minded shit that woman came up with these days.  "Buffy shut up and move your ass."  He said knowing it would get a reaction from her.

            She stepped back stunned, not realizing until she saw the glint in his eye that he wanted to dance.  She latched onto his hand as he led them out to the dance floor for a slow number, almost moaning when he pulled her closer, practically melding their bodies together.  His hands found their way around her waist and the small of her back.  The fell of his hand on her bare back was almost enough to send her over the edge.  She could feel his accelerated heartbeat against her chest, his lips that weren't quite kissing her shoulder.  The song being 'Anytime, Anyplace' was sounding about right at the moment.  She couldn't wait to fell his hands moving up her thighs, touching her in only way that she had dreamed of.   The thought of this got her wet and she moved closer to him, if it was somehow possible.  She was about the put her head down on his shoulder when he turned her around so that now she was facing her friends.  She rolled her eyes as they waved and the man behind her in turn waved them over to them.  'How am I supposed to have my lone time with him if he keeps inviting everyone else along?'  It had happened during lone time pool game which she had tried starting, at the booth when she had tried to subtly play footsies with him and he had accidentally kicked her thinking it was Xander, they hadn't been alone all night.  'Grrr.'  

            The rest of the night looked like it was going to be uneventful and Buffy readied her body to get ready to get into slaying mode.  'Might as well get some action tonight,' she thought.  It wasn't until they heard the screech of a misplaced microphone that the club got somewhat quiet.  Everyone watched in horror as Dee got up on the bar and began her own rendition of the song that was currently playing on the jukebox.  
    
    I like big butts and I can not lie
    
    You other brothers can't deny
    
    That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waste
    
    And a round thing in your face

You get sprung                   

            She began to strip off her shirt to the cheers of the males in the audience and drink whatever was around.  Grabbing the tequila bottle she poured a few shots into her mouth before pouring it onto her now bra clad chest.  "Any one wanna lick it off?"  She yelled out as she saw security trying to make its way through the crowd.  Dee twirled almost falling at the dizziness that it caused, she continued to sing and stuck out her ass to the thumping of the song.
    
    My anaconda don't want none unless you've got buns hun
    
    You can do side bends or sit-ups, but please don't lose that butt

            The gang watched as Spike tried to make his way to the bar that Dee was currently pouring his entire inventory on the top of the bar.  She moved to the song hips gyrating and lips singing, oblivious as to the amount of people that were trying to reach her.  It wasn't until she got out some matches and set the bar afire trying a coyote ugly type thing but failing horribly that everyone panicked.  

***Two months later***

            Two months had passed and things were surely but slowly moving along for Buffy and William.  'Sure we haven't kissed yet, or held hands, or even talked about going on a date but at least we're talking like normal now.'  They had helped him with the repairs and clean up of the Bronze after the infamous Dee dance.  Her new and rarely seen demon friend hadn't been around much after that.  Mostly because of the restraining order, but she was probably embarrassed too.  Buffy had been amazed to see how much her wish had changed him.  He routinely came over to help Dawn with her homework and to help Joyce around the gallery and with housework, like chores and cooking.  He and Xander played basketball or pool whenever they could fit it in and he was even help Willow with spells to repel Glory with. He was one of them, truly one of them and she had never been so happy.  No snide remarks, no taunting them, he was perfect.  

            They had started training together at the insistence of Giles and she was now warming up, a thousand thoughts running through her head.  'Something needs to happen between us and soon.  I can't stand being this close and not doing anything about it.  I wonder if I would look cute if I cut my hair.  Why hasn't he made a move yet?'  All these thoughts while looking at his lean form starching on the other side of the room.  

            "Um, Will can I ask you a question?"

            "Sure."  He hadn't even bothered to look up, instead choosing to do pushups.

            "I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to go out this Friday."  She asked in seemingly one breath.  

            He looked up at her catching the extra hint of red in her cheeks.  "Sounds good, where should we all go this week?  Bowling?  Dancing?  LA?"  

            "We all?  Oh no I meant the two of us.  You know like a date?"

            That caught him by surprise.  Buffy asking him on a date was something he files in never, never land along with screwing Cordelia.  His mind wandered as he thought of the brunette and wondered how she was doing.  A date.  With Buffy.  'This is going to be interesting.' 

            "A date it is then."

            She smiled, they sparred and she thought of Friday night goodness.


	5. Oh whata night

Practically Perfect in Every Way  
  
Coupling: S/B, S/? Possibly.  
  
Rating: PG-13. *Sits back all lazy like because of lack of creativity for this part.*  
  
Author: Hostile 17  
  
Disclaimer: We had been married for over a year and she wouldn't leave. She would run up to us, trying to hold our hands, joining us for dinner, and constantly watching us as we made love. My husband, Joss (the creative genius behind BtVS) told me that it would be all right. That she would get the hint when we moved. Four houses and one house boat later I would still catch her every so often sitting in a chair, watching us make love. She rocks back and forth saying "Any minute now, any minute." It creeps me out.  
  
A/N: Okay you guys should get it by now that I don't actually write anything important or anything serious. I would like to thank Dee for being my beta, even though I wrote her as a drunk in the last chapter. Thanks to Kantayra for the challenge and thanks to James Marsters for working out. Come on people have you seen his body?!?!? Some of the dream sequence is from OOMM, that writing goes the pimp daddy or mommy that wrote it. Some stuff from Lover's Walk too. Same pimp daddy sentiment for that too.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Buffy was going out of her mind. She couldn't decide on what to wear, not even what color underwear. 'Should I wear underwear? Gah, more decisions! I can't do this.' Slamming her door and running over to her closet for the fifth time in one hour was beginning to take its toll on her. She didn't know if she wanted to be casual cool 'whatever that means' or dress up to knock his socks off. She cleared a space for her small frame and cuddled in the piles of clothes on the bed. Her mind drifted and she soon found herself asleep.  
  
She was in bed, the moon outside casting eerie shadows through out her room. Standing up and stretching she began to gather her materials for slaying, praying for a quiet night. She couldn't handle another beating from Glory, and the thought of having to face her again made her nauseous. After changing, Buffy headed out to find what nasties she could.  
  
It didn't take her long, but it did take her by surprise. Spike. Spike without a chip. When he had hit her she was in too much shock to respond.  
  
"How?" She asked, but he offered no answer, only a smirk. They fought, each getting their hits when needed until they made it to his crypt. It was then that he talked of the two slayers he had killed. Talked about death being her art about how every slayer had a death wish. Even her. And then it got interesting.  
  
He was fighting harder, quicker, and with more determination. He was going to kill her. She could feel it and he could tell that she was no longer in the fight. He had found the opening and shoved her against the wall, his hand around her throat.  
  
"Slayer, I told you sooner or later you were going to want it. That I would be there, that I would wonder if you liked it as much as the others. So now that we're at the end of our little dance I have one question for you." She stared into his eyes; the cerulean blue orbs gave away nothing. "Do you want you want it?"  
  
He watched her, her eyes never leaving his. Her body never trying to free herself from the grip that he had on her, not once. It was over, but would she be willing to admit it? Would she admit this was what she wanted? When her answer came to say he was surprised would have been an understatement.  
  
"Do it." She said with a firm resolve.  
  
"What?" Again, with the surprise.  
  
"Just fucking do it already. End my torment. Seeing you, every day, everywhere I go, every time I turn around. Take me ... out of a world ... that has you in it! Just kill me!"  
  
He stared at her not knowing how to react. Luckily it didn't take him long to recover and his demon emerged. His eyes flashed yellow and he looked at her before lowering his mouth to her neck. Her pulse accelerated and her breathing became heavier. The fear and the arousal were overwhelming and he brought himself to look in her eyes one last time.  
  
She felt her body tense as he lowered his mouth to her throat. Closing her eyes in the anticipation of what was to come she waited for blackness to over take her. When seconds had passed and she hadn't been reduced to a happy meal on legs she opened her eyes again, to find him staring back at her. She couldn't take it anymore. Him being so close and not kissing him was killing her. Without another thought her hand went around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. A full out passionate kiss that rivaled those of Romeo and Juliet, those people on Moonlighting, and hell even Mulder and Scully. He returned the kiss, hungrily forgetting thoughts of death and replacing them with lust.  
  
He nibbled at her lip, causing it to bleed when he cut to deep. The sensation of both the arousal and the blood of the slayer sent him over the edge and he reluctantly backed away from her, gathering his thoughts. He looked at her and then wondered what the fuck he was doing. 'She's the bleeding slayer. You're supposed to hate her, kill her. Not want to shag her senseless.' He brought his hand to his mouth and felt the little bit of blood still lingering there. Tasting it again made up his mind. He walked back to her swiftly, grabbing both of her upper arms and kissed her. Hard and violently. Kissed her face, neck, throat, lips, everything.  
  
"Buffy.. I want you."  
  
"Spike.I love you." He pulled back, looking at her. Making sure he had heard her right. His face a mixture of shock and disbelief. She looked back and repeated it. "God, I love you so much."  
  
Buffy awoke with a gasp. Her breathing was heavy and she was panting. The sweat from her body rolled down as she sat up and looked around. "Oh God no. Please no." She wasn't in love with Spike, she couldn't be. This was why she had made William. The Spike double, the guy that was everything that Spike wasn't. He wasn't evil, a thief, a soulless being that claimed to love her. He was William, everything that she could possibly want. Her body violently shook the thoughts out of her had and she searched for a clock to give her the time. 'Shit he's gonna be her in fifteen minutes." Frantically she pulled her hair back in a half ponytail, hoping that it looked fresh and not hastily done. She slipped on the dress she had considered before falling into a lust filled dream. Groaning at new thoughts about said dream she made her way to the mirror to check her dress out. The silky fabric conformed to every curve on her body. The neck line came down in a sharp V showing her cleavage and accentuating their perkiness. Her back was left bare to show off the golden glow from her neck to the top of her bottom. She smiled at the thought of his hands gently removing the dress after she told him that she wanted him. Needed him. Loved him. She looked again at the dress and the way it cinched at the waist and slit up to her thigh on both sides and decided that yes this was it. Quickly giving herself the once over she dabbed on some lip gloss after putting the finishing touches on her make up. "Spike's never gonna know what hit him.'  
  
Two hours later and Buffy was officially having the worst date ever. Their conversation had been little and her slayer abilities had ran off tonight leaving her to be the uber klutz of the world. The evening had started off okay, the two of them walking to the French restaurant hidden in the back alleys of Sunnydale, each talking about themselves, getting to know each other. Then it went down hill. Missing the curb she had flung forward and managed to get her legs completely scraped up when she hit the ground. Instead of treating the cuts, she insisted she was fine and they made their way to the restaurant. From there the waiter had managed to get their orders wrong three times, burn their bread, and her hair was lit on fire by a candle. That in turn led to William throwing wine in her face, drenching her dress. She panicked again when she realized that alcohol was an accelerant to fire and poured her water to douse her slightly burnt hair. She was close to tears when they left the restaurant when she realized that after the horrible dinner that she would also be paying the bill. William had sheepishly shrugged when she looked at the bill, claiming that he had left his wallet at home.  
  
They walked home in silence neither wanting to talk about the past few hours. He had given her his coat, due to her extreme uncomfortable ness from the chill of the wine and water now soaking her clothes. She brought the material up to her nose and smelled it. Again it didn't have the smell of Spike, and again it disappointed her. She refused to dwell on that thought for long thinking of what her original plan had been for that night. She was going to tell him. Tell him that she loved him, wanted to be with him. They made their way to the back yard, where Spike had comforted her after she had learned about her mother's illness. Where instead of killing her he had given her a shoulder to cry on. Because he loved her. 'NO! Spike didn't love you, he can't love without a soul.' The argument in her head however lost it's fight every time she said it. 'He loved Dru didn't he? He loved her for a hundred years without a soul. He was willing to kill her.' She stopped her thought process when she noticed William waving his hand in front of her.  
  
"Um, what?" Buffy asked when she also noticed he was speaking.  
  
"I was wondering if there was a point to this night. You looked like you had something to say but we kept getting interrupted." He saw a blush creep upwards on her face and smiled. "What is it Buffy?"  
  
"Well I um, I mean I need to. You see there's something I have to tell you. You see for a while now.." She looked down, refusing to look him in the eye. Her hands playing with the slightly damp material of her dress.  
  
"Buffy, come on. What is it. You're babbling and not making much sense."  
  
"Okay, I'll be straight to the point. Be straight to the point girl. For a while now I've had these feelings for you. Strong feelings. Feelings that should no longer be ignored. William, I love you." She held her breath, waiting for a reaction. Looking at his face. His eyes got wide, he seemed to become pale and he began to cough. At least it sounded like a cough, then she realized it was laughter.  
  
He couldn't hold it in. Buffy was in love with him? When the hell had that happened? They had hated each other for as long as they had known each other. Until the last couple of months they had rarely spoken to each other unless the other was in imminent danger. Now she loved him. Had he sent the wrong signals? Had he touched her, helped her, gotten to close? He searched his mind and could come up with nothing. Looking at her face he could see confusion in her eyes and a slight frown forming on her lips.  
  
"You're laughing at me? I pour my heart out and you're laughing at me?"  
  
"What did you expect? We've never gotten along til recently and now all the sudden I'm supposed to fall at your feet and kiss the ground you walk on because you love me now? You've got another thing coming of you think that's gonna happen."  
  
"But you love me. You told me you did. 'Love isn't brains children, it's blood.blood screaming inside you to work its will. *I* may be love's bitch but at least I'm man enough to admit it.' She quoted him. "It's in my blood, it's telling me to work its will. I love you."  
  
"I don't."  
  
"You don't what?"  
  
"Love you. I don't love you. You are the most selfish woman I have ever met. You are a stupid bint with no sense in what you actually want. Thinking back it's become apparent that you pushed away research and valuable time to spend it with me. For what, to get closer to me? You turned your back on research that could help save your sister. I don't need your protection. She does and the fact that you seem to have forgotten about that tells me something. You are a horrible person Buffy." He stood up watching the tears form in her eyes. He grabbed his coat and left with three final words. "You're beneath me."  
  
Glory's minions watched as William left the Summers' house in a huff. They had been told that the key would be relatively new to this world and that the Slayer's job was to protect it. The spell they had performed hours earlier had begun to take affect and things that were new or not real began to take on an eerie glow. Babies, kittens, Glory, and now the human. The human that had loudly protested that he didn't want/need the Slayer's protection. The human that while looked like he had been there for a lifetime, was now glowing with falseness the spell had been cast for. They had found the key.  
  
Spike walked how swiftly, the thought of danger and the anger at Buffy, fueling his current need to find something to kill. He was so focused on his anger, that he failed to notice he was being followed. It wasn't until he slowed down that he heard footsteps and chattering behind him. Closer than they should have been, he accelerated his walking into running. They were too quick though. In seconds they had him surrounded, shredding his jacket off of him and bringing him to the ground. His last thought before unconsciousness was that he would never see his friends again. 


	6. A Kiss between friends

Practically Perfect in Every Way  
  
Coupling: S/B..Sometime this year...  
  
Rating: PG-13. *Flashes you all and giggles the boobies, ignoring all the horrified on lookers.*  
  
Author: Hostile 17  
  
Disclaimer: I felt his strong hands on my back, gently soothing out the knots caused by the stress of the upcoming series finale. These characters that we had all loved for seven years were coming to an end. Some would live, some would die. But then as he spread the massage oil on my back he said the most magic words. A cabana boy had asked him what people should do with that extra hour of free time. Then he said "Write fan fic." I will my love, I will. Now "harder, harder, oh yeah right there Joss baby." Some words were borrowed from "Intervention" written by Jane Epenson. And by borrowed I mean stole because it's not like she personally gave me permission or anything. Snooty lil . I mean . *runs away*  
  
A/N: Now I'm writing something serious. *Glares at the people gasping about in the room* My friend Dee, the writer on ff.net and the cute lil vengeance Demon that William now has a restraining order against has been given the boot from ff.net once again. Those little whores thought that she was writing actor fic (she wasn't) and someone reported that. Instead of actually reading the thing they just trusted this person and deleted her account. I suggest you catch her stories, now under the name of Desired. She is a wonderful author and an even better person. Now that that's done..*shimmies out of clothes to reveal a may is here* let's party people.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Buffy couldn't believe it. Who the hell did he think he was? All Mr. High and Mighty. Okay so she had shrugged off some research time to spend time with him. It wasn't that big of a deal right? I mean Glory didn't know who the key was, and Dawn was safe. She knew he was right though she had shrugged off her duties as a sister and a slayer to try and get some snugglies out of him. But that was why she had made the wish. To have this perfect boyfriend and now he didn't love her. How is that possible? She made her way up the stairs wondering how the wish had gone so wrong. It wasn't until she reached Dawn's door that she noticed a light coming from the inside. 'I need to talk to someone. Figure out what went wrong.' She knocked on the door before letting herself in shocked to see that not only was Dawn not up but that she was also glowing. Quickly forgetting everything else that had happened that night she ran to her sister's side to see if she was okay. After seeing that she was sleeping peacefully she went into her mom's room and woke her up.  
  
Buffy had decided no matter how much she hated Spike at the moment for being so cruel to her that she needed his help. He was the only on that could keep Dawn and her mom safe. He was the strongest. Dawn had freaked out of course when had woken up. It's not everyday that she glowed like night light. They had quickly grabbed clothes and headed towards William's place. Her thoughts raced as she tried to figure out what to tell him, how to ask him, without the hurt and anger of rejection betraying her in her voice. When they arrived Buffy was surprised to see that he hadn't come home yet, she was happy however when she found his door unlocked and let herself in, Joyce and Dawn following timidly behind.  
  
"I'm going to go find Spike and tell him what has happened. I don't know why you're glowing but I have a feeling that it has something to do with Glory. Stay here and do not leave. Lock the door behind me and don't let anyone in. Unless it's William. But you wouldn't have to let him in because he owns this place. Mr. High and mighty owns this place, asshole." When she noticed Dawn and Joyce giving her looks of confusion she shut herself up. "Stay here and don't leave."  
  
When she had finally gotten the courage to leave her mom and sister she made her way back to the house. Once again thinking of William's words to her. She was astounded at the idea that he might not love her anymore. Sure he was mad at her for shirking responsibilities but he couldn't have just fallen out of love. Could he? She began to think back to Spike. The way he would look at her like he would never hurt her, except that whole time they were enemies, but that didn't count. She wondered why she was so afraid of falling for him. Was it her friend's reaction that she was afraid of? Giles? Her mom? Why had she made the wish to begin with? This Spike was so well not Spike. Lost in her thoughts she tripped when her shoes had tangled with something on the ground.  
  
A coat. A familiar coat. One that she had been wearing no longer than thirty minutes before. Bile began to rise in her throat and a panic began to take over. William had been attacked. She had felt this way when Dawn was glowing and now it was magnified at the fact that William was now missing or dead sans coat. Almost sprinting from where she was she ran to her house and called Willow.  
  
"Willow he's missing?" Buffy said, panic betraying her calm exterior when Willow finally arrived.  
  
"Who? Buffy where is everyone?"  
  
"Spike, uh, I mean William he's missing. He and I got into a fight and he left and then he , he ..Willow I don't know what to do. He's gone and he can't protect Dawn if he's dead."  
  
"What happened to Dawn, Buffy?  
  
"She's glowing. And not in that pregnant or post sex way, she's literally glowing. I think Glory did something so that she could see her for what she is. I took her and mom to William's and he wasn't there. I wasn't too worried until I tripped on this." She explained holding up the torn jacket. "They're safe but he's not. I need you to do a locater spell. Can you?  
  
"Sure Buffy." Willow left and quickly came back with the needed materials. She tried the spell only to be dismayed that it wasn't working. She couldn't find him anywhere. It would locate him if he was injured or dead but nothing was showing up. "Uh, Buffy I'm having a slight problem."  
  
"How do you mean? What kinda problem? Is he dead? Oh God I got him killed didn't I? I made that stupid wish and now he's dead." She kept rambling not noticing Willow's reaction. "I mean how could I have been so stupid. Why didn't I.." What's the matter Will?"  
  
"What do you mean you made a wish and now he's dead? Did you make a wish Buffy?"  
  
"I, uh, yeah I did. But it was just a little one."  
  
"Buffy if he's not real he's not going to show up by doing this spell. What did you wish for?" Willow said a frown appearing on her face and a fire in her eyes that would only get brighter with every word that Buffy spoke.  
  
Buffy couldn't hold it in anymore. She explained to Willow how she had met Desire and how Desire had offered to grant a wish. She just wanted to have the perfect guy and she thought Spike/ William was it. She had made changes, like the human thing and ended up here where everything was just perfect. Her friends loved him and so did she. Then she explained how the spell had gone wrong and that instead of him being all perfect that he was mad at her and didn't love her which isn't right. Everything was wrong and now William was missing.  
  
"You made a wish to change someone you obviously already loved? Why would you do that Buffy?"  
  
"Because, because I don't know. You guys would have freaked if I bean going out with another vampire. I didn't want that again. I just wanted a normal boyfriend."  
  
"So instead of coming to us you decided to change our memories, our world just so you would be happy? That's so selfish Buffy what were you thinking? You could have come to us. We would have understood eventually." Willow put her head in her hands as memories from the other world began to flood her brain. Spike crashing parent teacher night with a gang of vampires. Spike kidnapping her and Xander, Spike getting the chip and trying to attack her. Spike helping the gang out, helping Dawn and Buffy. Everything was overlapping with what she thought were her real memories. Them having lunch out in the sun, William comforting her when she realized that she had feelings for Tara but was still afraid to admit it. William helping her out with her spells. She could feel the tears forming in back of her eyelids. It wasn't real. None of it was real. Standing up she headed towards the door to angry to look at her friend.  
  
"Willow where are you going? Aren't you going to help me?"  
  
Willow looked and Buffy and then the jacket. She knew she had to finish the spell but the temptation to leave her without a way to get to this man she had falsified was just as powerful. She could see that Buffy felt bad about the wish but only because it hadn't worked out the way she had planned. But she couldn't do that to William. Real or not he was her friend and she loved him. With a wave of her hand she said the spell needed for someone who wasn't there. "Riveli che cosa io cercano, riveli quello, quello non `e reale." (Reveal what I seek, reveal that, that is not real.) They both watched as the map began to light up and then dim down. Leaving two dots, one at Spike's apartment and one across town. Buffy ran to the map studying the quickest way to get there. She didn't notice that Willow had left until she heard the slam of the door.  
  
After calling and leaving Willow a message asking her not to tell anyone about the wish she set out to find William. She approached the mansion with caution. Buffy had seen this place before, the snake had been going there. Or at least in that direction. If Glory happened to be the one kidnapping him she didn't know how they were going to get out alive. Silently praying she entered the house, surprised to find it unguarded. She walked around looking for signs of life when she heard yelling upstairs. Rapidly finding the stairs she made her way up to the next floor.  
  
William woke up to find himself chained up and standing in front of the hell goddess known as Glory. She was a pretty thing he would give her that much. Would probably shag her if she wasn't all evil and out to end the world. 'Some people find that appalling.' His mind mentally smirked thinking back to Buffy when Angelus and his whore Drusilla tried to unleash Acathla. Sure she had killed Angelus, but she had refused to give up hope when her old honey was tryin to end life as they knew it. He closed his eyes and shook the thought from his head as others began to enter. Buffy loving him for one. Did the chit lose her mind? He barely even liked her. He was tolerating her because of her friends, because she was the slayer and helped save the world. He thought that was how they had both felt. Sure they had been getting along recently but he thought it was just for Dawn's sake. Buffy's sister had instantly taken a liking to him when they had first met and he was practically her big brother. It had been hard on her when she saw Buffy and William fight, scowl or just plain ignored each other. He thought that she was coming around to ease Dawn's worries. To show they were a united front in defeating Glory. He opened his eyes to see Glory studying him.  
  
"So you're my Key? Aren't you a hottie? All with the cheekbones and lean muscled body. If you weren't so important I would fuck your brains out before killing you. But you're pure and I wouldn't want to ruin my day by getting my rocks off now would gorgeous." She said pinching his cheek in a demeaning manner.  
  
'Shit! The bitch thinks I'm the key. Breathe, breathe.' His face remained calm but his mind was trying to figure out how to escape. He knew that eventually that he wasn't the key. And then she'd kill him, but not before she brain sucked him to find out who the key really was. He looked at her as she went back to the couch and began to look at her ankles.  
  
"Do you think my ankles are fat?" She asked.  
  
"No of course not oh splendorous one. Nothing could make your striking ankles look fat or even bloated." One of her minions said as soon as the question left her mouth.  
  
"I wasn't asking you, you hideous thing. I was asking my baby. The Key. What do you think?" She asked, giving him the once over then waiting for an answer.  
  
"Your ankles are fine. It's your ass that could use some work." He said knowing that if she just killed him first that she wouldn't find out who the key was from him.  
  
It worked and she came flying towards him. "What did you say?"  
  
"Your ass it could use some work." She punched him, it hurt but he continued. "Even the slayer has a better ass than you and mark my words. She is going to kick yours. You cheap whorish goddess with the fashion sense of a tree are going to die at the slayers hand. He didn't even see the second or the third punch, but they were hard enough to send him flying into the back wall and free him from his restraints. When he looked up she could see that she was confused about why her key would want to be killed. Then he saw the realization hit her. He wasn't the key, and now he would die because if it.  
  
"You tricked me. You tricked me into thinking you were the key. Why would you do that?"  
  
"Sod off whore." Was his answer, he smiled when she raised her fist again. She then thought better of it. This frightened him.  
  
"You know I'm hungry. I could just kill you true, but sucking out your brains just sounds like so much more fun. Don't you think?" She asked, looking at him like she thought he'd agree. He tensed when she began to massage his head, preparing to do her worst when he heard the voice of an angel. Well not so much an angel but a Slayer.  
  
"Get away from him."  
  
"Oh yay the blonde back to rescue her boyfriend."  
  
"I'm not her boyfriend."  
  
Buffy ignored the comment and kept her eyes on Glory. "You want the key you are going to have to go through me. You leave William out of this. It isn't his fight." It was then that she finally looked at him. The blood on his lips slowly falling onto his shirt, the eye that she knew would be swollen shut in a few hours and the shortness of his breath told her that Glory had broken some of his ribs. She held her gasp in, as to not show fear to the bitch now standing in front of her. "You'll pay for this." She said motioning to William who had passed out.  
  
It was Buffy that threw the first punch, and the second. The anger and frustration she had felt at being the slayer, at William not loving her, at having to give up everything that was normal, she took out on Glory. They pounded into each other not caring if they themselves were hurting. Round house kick there, a bitch slap here and all was good in Buffy's world. She never noticed herself getting tired. Never noticed that Glory was in fact winning the fight. She just wanted it over. Her feet left the ground at Glory's last punch and her head it the floor with a sickening sound. She never heard it though. Consciousness had left her the moment she went flying.  
  
**Two Days later**  
  
Buffy awoke to find herself in a hospital. Surrounded by friends and family once again. Her head was killing her and she felt a slight pain in her arm. She heard muffled voices of "She's awake and get the doctor." The look of concern on their faces was enough to tell her that the last beating had been pretty bad.  
  
"What happened? How did I get here?" She remembered the fight but nothing after that. 'William.' "Where's William? Where is he?" Her voice panicked and somewhat hoarse from not having spoken or eaten in the last few days.  
  
"He went to get the doctor honey. He'll be right back. As for what happened and how you got here, I'm going to let William tell you that." Her mother gently brushed Buffy's hair away from her face and then stood up telling everyone that they should give Buffy some privacy. She looked at them silently thanking them for being there when she noticed that Willow wasn't one of them. 'Did she go with William to get the doctor?'  
  
It was then that both her doctor and William walked, both with relieved faces at seeing that she was actually awake and seeming fine in the health department. He performed the usual tests, by using the usual room temperature equipment, in effect giving her shivers when he moved it all over her back. Once he had finished he told her the discharge nurse would be in to give her instructions on out patient care and left William and her alone.  
  
"How did I get here? How are you? How did we get out of there alive?" She had so many questions but he stopped her at the third one.  
  
"I am fine. Couple broken ribs, my eye is opening and I am alive. I'm good. We got out of there thanks to a man that happened to be passing buy that heard the commotion and came in to help. When I came to he was pacing, on the phone with 911. He told them that it looked like there had been a pretty horrific fight. He kept checking to see if you had a pulse, and once he saw that I was awake he helped me. Buffy it was looking bad for awhile. We couldn't find a pulse, for a minute there. I was worried." There was genuine concern in his voice when he said he had been worried, hell he had been scared. They may not get along, and fight all the time but somewhere in him did care about the girl he was taking to.  
  
"William you could have gotten yourself killed. What were you thinking?" She said, her eyes probing his as if they would answer why he seemed to have a death wish that night.  
  
"Without his consent tears seemed to have formed in his eyes. "Buffy, I know that if anything ever happened to Dawn that it would destroy you. You and your mum. I couldn't live with you being in that much pain. Let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did."  
  
She clasped his hand, tears forming in her own eyes. "Thank you. You don't know what it means to me for you to do that. For you to be willing to die for my sister, I just, thank you." She slid into his arms finally letting the sobs she had been holding in partly due to him come out.  
  
They held each other for what seemed like hours but Buffy knew to be only minutes. Each finding comfort with each other because of what they had experienced. He finally broke the release somewhat so that he could look at her. He had never seen her so frail, so vulnerable. She looked at him, a longing in her eyes that was evident when she told him she loved him. He knew it was wrong, but he felt that this once he could break the rules. He leaned in slowly and brushed his lips against hers.  
  
She felt his lips brush against hers and almost moaned at the contact. A little for the pain because her lip was split, but most from the contact. He was kissing her. He parted his lips and she took that as an invitation in but was surprised when he pulled back.  
  
"Buffy I heard what you said before I passed out. I know that you were there as much as to save me as you were to save Dawn. Thank you. What you did for me, is the most unselfish thing I have seen you do in a long time. I was wrong, you are better than I thought. What you did for me was. real. It takes a person with a heart so full of love to be willing to give themselves up like that." He stood up, kissed her forehead and walked towards the door. "I won't forget it."  
  
Buffy spent the remainder of the day filling out paper work and going over her medications dosage and everything unimportant to someone who was going to heal in a matter of hours. He r mind kept flashing back to the kiss and she would regularly touch her lips at the memory. Which of course brought on the pain. 'Stupid split lip.' She was about to make her exit when William stopped her.  
  
"I would like you to meet the man that saved us."  
  
He turned her around to see the man that was responsible for both of them still being of this earth. She took in his all American good looks, his smile that showed he could be trusted, and his brown hair that seemed quite soft in the harsh hospital lights. She extended her hand and thanked him.  
  
"Hi, I'm Buffy."  
  
"Hi, I'm Ben." 


	7. Full of love

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Coupling:  S/B …I swear..well kinda.. you'll see…

Rating: PG-13.  *Strips Spike and puts black bar that hides the goodies over said goodies*  Told you this was PG-13.   

Author:  Hostile 17

Disclaimer:  I watched him as he swam in our pool.  Gracefully moving through the water like he was meant to be in the water.  He rose for air and the water glistened on his back and on his manly chest.  After he went back under I decided to strip and join him.  He was always talking about getting adventurous in our sex life just as his characters of the hit show BtVS did and I was about to make his wish come true.  I dove in and wrapped myself around him.  He frantically tried to rise to the surface as I barraged him with kisses.  When he finally made it up he was gasping for air and saying something that sounded like security.  I wouldn't know though I just felt a sharp pain and now I feel like I'm being lifted from the water.  Before I drifted into unconsciousness I looked at him and thought 'Our love will be forever, my love forever.'  Then, 'Why is he crying in that woman's arms.'  *Grins evilly*  Excerpts from Intervention were written by Jane Epenson.  

A/N:  Does dance…. I know you love me people.  Which is why you need to review.  Now.  Especially you *points to random guy in the back*.  Damn I'm bored…what are you all up to today?  Oh and yeah Ben and Buffy had already met when she was there in the hospital before but he didn't know who she was then.  She is the only one who remembered at the moment.  Hence the introduction he wants to be all sweet on her.  The Asshole.  

Chapter 7

            The gang had left the hospital after each giving Ben the hug and hearty thanks for saving their friends lives leaving the young man slightly flustered.  They had agreed to meet at the magic box in an hour allowing Buffy to go home and change.  Giles had said that he might have a lead on how to defeat Glory which led to many more questions.  He simply just told them to meet at the Magic box and that he would explain.  Dawn and her mom had left with William.  Nobody had wanted them out in the open just yet.  If the spell was still taking effect, William's place was still the safest area for them to be in.  

            Within an hour William, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and Buffy herself were assembled at The Magic Box.  Each talking and laughing trying to forget what they were fighting and trying to incorporate some normalcy back into their lives, even if it was only in 10 minute increments.  They stopped when they heard the familiar clearing of the throat by Giles to indicate that the meeting was to begin.  

            "I have been doing some research and come to a conclusion about how to defeat Glory."  He watched as the group leaned in, eager to hear is answer.  "Buffy and I will be taking a retreat.  I feel that she needs to be in tune with the slayer, I think the first slayer will give her the answers we have been searching for."  

            "The solution to Glory is us going on a camping trip?"  Buffy asked somewhat confused.  

            "Yes.  Buffy I believe that you need to get back to your roots.  We've been training so hard and you have been doing so well.  I just feel that you can learn from, and receive the answers that we so desperately need to stop this."  

            She looked around the room, taking everyone's faces; the tired eyes, frown lines, and the worry that seemed to encompass not only their eyes but acted as an invisible weight on their shoulders giving them a slouch and an even more exhausted over all look.  'How had they put up with this for this long?'  She thought to herself.  She could do this it was her job.  She had to.  But they, they didn't.  They could have a normal life, with normal emergencies instead of a monster of the week.  If Giles thought this would help then she would do it.  They need a break, a break from the life she had brought them into.  Sighing she looked at Giles.  "Let's go."  

            Two hours and a fight over whether or not Dawn could borrow a skirt later Giles and Buffy were on the road.  She leaned towards the window looking at the disappearing landscape of Sunnydale and the appearing dry land of the desert where the quest was supposed to take place.  Thoughts ran through her mind of how her life was turning out.  Angel, she missed him.  Well sort of.  She missed the feeling of being with him.  How he made her feel, like she was losing herself in him.  That wasn't healthy though, she knew that.  His reasons for leaving had been as valid then as they were now for him not coming back.  The love would always be there but it was no longer drowning her.  Then there was Riley.  The other man in her life.  The one that no matter how hard she tried to be there for him it was too little.  It wasn't enough.  With him she felt numb inside.  She was shut down.   She couldn't give him what she needed.  What he wanted.  This is why she had made the wish right?  It's not like she could love Spike back.  Not with him being a vampire and with the evil and stuff.  '_Yeah right.  And you are also a natural blonde,' her mind screamed at her.  It seemed to be doing that a lot lately.  '_You love Spike.  Why did I have two pieces of pie?  You love him with pie on him.  You shouldn't have made that wish.  Did you leave the light on in the basement?'_  She knew that she was fooling herself.  Spike was the one she wanted.  She knew that now.  But she couldn't reverse the wish, it was too late and now she was stuck with a Spike that she didn't even know.  A Spike that didn't even want her.  _

              She had fallen asleep before they had reached their destination and she had woken up with a weird taste in her mouth and a memory of her dream.  Something about a robot that looked like her.  '_Huh, weird.'  After opening the door and stretching her legs outside the car she looked at Giles.  "We ready?"  _

            Giles looked at Buffy as she approached him.  She had seemed off to him as of late.  Sure she was still doing her slaying duties but it seemed as though the spark had left her.  She had been so attentive, ready to learn, ready to train.  Then the fight with Glory had left her weakened. Not physically, but in his mind she seemed to be off mentally and emotionally.  Her heart didn't seem to be in the fight.  Like many teenagers, or young adults it seemed to be somewhere else.  With someone else.  He laid the remaining supplies for the spell down before explaining what the ritual was for and how it was to be performed.  He explained that he would be transferring his "guardianship" of her temporarily so that a guide might take her to the sacred place.  A place that he could not enter.  She had appeared to be worried at first that he wouldn't be able to find her but once he assured her that the sacred place wasn't one filled with bleached bones she seemed to be wanting to get it done.  

            Buffy watched as Giles seemingly did the hokey pokey a couple times before he disappeared all together.  It was then she was met by a panther.  '_Be a good kitty.'  She followed._

~Hours later~  

            She awoke again but this time on a large slab on rock.  _'At least it's pretty,'_ she thought to herself.  A bonfire had been set up only feet away providing her with warmth.  Looking around and feeling the chill she surmised that the sun had set many hours before she woke up.  It was what had woken her up that troubled her.  It was a rustling, something was moving around but she couldn't get a fix on it.  It wasn't demon which only slightly calmed her fears.  

            "Hello?  Is someone out here?"  Then she came into view.  The first slayer.  She began speaking, frustrating Buffy to no end because hello?  Who speaks language of yesteryear man?  No her that's who.  Then the slayer spoke to her.  

            "I am your guide.  This is my form."

            "Can't you take a better less scary one?  I mean the mud on the face is so well weird."  

            The slayer looked at Buffy considering her words then seemed to agree.  It would be better if the answers she was seeking came from someone she trusted.  The first slayer then changed form.  

            Buffy watched in amazement as the first slayers form and appearance changed from a woman of ancient times to that of a leather duster, jeans wearing, bleach blonde vampire that she had missed so much.  Her heart rate increased to the point where she thought it would leap out and go hug Spike itself.  

            "Spike?"

            "I've taken his form, yes."  He watched her face as it fell at the disappointment that it wasn't actually him.  "Bugger this, yeah I'm Spike luv but not in the way you want me to be.  The powers," he pointed up as to show her who she was talking about, "thought that you would be more receptive to someone you knew giving you the answers you need.

            The guide seemed surprised when she jumped up and hugged him.  Sure he was Spike but still with the surprise.  He touched her cheek, caressing it somewhat lovingly.  He knew that he was probably sleeping and that he wouldn't remember this when it was all over, but while he had her…  

            "I need to ask you some questions… about being a slayer.  About Glory.  About love."  She had made sure to look in his eyes as she said the last word.  He saw this and took an unneeded breath.  

            The answers seemed to flow to him and out of his mouth.  He knew what she needed to hear; the answers she needed to fight the fight here.  Wherever it was.  "You think you're losing your ability to love?"

            Buffy looked up.  "I didn't say that."  He saw right through her though.  He had that ability.  To know her better than she knew herself sometimes.  He could always pinpoint what the problem was.  It was like he was a mind reader.  A mind reader with a slammin body and a talent for making her all hot and bothered at the most inappropriate times.  Like now.  She sighed.  "Yeah."

            Spike watched her lower lip jut out to form that perfect little put that always formed on her face when something was wrong. He could honestly say he had never been more in love or more protective of her.  He didn't know why she had chosen him to be the form of her guide or where this was exactly.  It seemed like his world but something was off that he couldn't place.  She looked at him differently.  Not like a monster, but like a man.  A man she was in lust with.  Perhaps something more, but he wasn't going to push it. "You're afraid that being the slayer means losing your humanity?"

            She almost looked frightened as she contemplated it.  The fact that she could be losing her humanity because of her calling was something she hadn't considered.  She had always held that above Spike.  The fact that she was human.  Funny that she had never done that to Angel.  '_Well he did have the soul.  Yeah and look how far that got the sodding poofter.'  She inwardly smiled when her mind went into Spike talking mode then smiled again when thoughts of naked Spike came to mind.  She almost began to wonder if he could find a blanket for some Spike lovin time until his question came back in her head.  Was she losing her humanity?  "Does it?"_

            He shook his head, seeing the relief immediately cross her face.  "You, you are full of love.  You love with all your soul."  He reached his hand out and she clasped it.  "It's brighter than the fire…blinding."  Moments passed as they just looked at their hands.  They both felt the warmth crawl through their veins to the one part of them that was connected.  Fire, rushed through extinguishing any lingering thoughts of denying the passion that they had always known was there.  A fire in their hands.  Eventually she let go and he added, "That's why you pull away from it."  Not wanting to betray his emotions, the last comment was almost a whisper.

            This surprised her.  She wasn't numb inside.  Of course it would be Spike telling her this.  "I'm full of love?  I'm not losing it?"

            He smirked.  "Well you're full of something and I would have to say you lost it about the time you fell for Peaches."  She had walked right into it and he couldn't resist.  The comment earned him a glare and a small smile.  He again held out his hand but when she took it, she was pulled closer to him.  Their faces were merely centimeters apart.  "Only if you reject it. _'"You're beneath me."'  Love is pain, and you forge strength from pain.  __'"Close your eyes."  She had said to Angel before she killed him.  Before she sent her lover to hell.'  Love…give…forgive.  Risk the pain.  It's your nature luv.  It's who you are.  Love will bring you to your gift."  His lips brushed over hers, his tongue darting out to enjoy the flavor of her mouth.  She responded in kind and they stayed that way, tongues interlocking for several minutes.  _

            Eventually she need to breathe. _Stupid air need for living rule.'  _"What?  I get a gift?  Is it jewelry?"  The only response she received was a raised eyebrow.  "I'm kidding.  Actually I'm confused.  I'm full of love, which is nice, because it could be worse.  You know the powers could say I was full of sh…I'm babbling.  So love will lead me to my gift?"

            He fingered a strand of her hair before gently placing it behind her ear.  _Cor, she is so beautiful.  So full of love, so full of life and good.'_  He frowned.  _What had ever made him think that he deserved her.  That he could even touch some one as..,' he stopped his thought right there and closed his eyes.  "Yes."  It was the only answer he had the strength to say at the moment._

            "I'm getting a gift?  Or, or do you mean that, that I have a gift to give to someone else?"  He wouldn't look at her and this worried her.  If there was something Spike never did was look away.  He would always look her in the eye and tell her what needed to be told no matter if she wanted to hear it or not.  "Look at me Spike,"  He opened his eyes.  Tears glistening in them.  "What is it Spike?"  She asked, her hand finding its place to lay on where Spike's unbeating heart was.  

            He had said it so silently the first time that she had asked him to repeat it.  He found her eyes and told her.  "Death is your gift."  

            "Death…"  Her eyes going wide as she repeated the word.

            "Is you gift."  He completed the sentence knowing that she was too shocked to.  

            Her face became hard.  "Okay death is not a gift.  I know this.  If I have to kill demons because it makes the world a better place then I kill demons.  But it' not a gift to anybody."

            "Buffy.."

            "Take it back damnit!  Death isn't my gift.  How do I beat her Spike?  How do I get this hell bitch away from my family?  How do I make her go away?  How do I make everything right again?"  By this time she had already fallen into Spike's arms the tears falling freely and was pounding on him but not in a way that would hurt.  "Death can't be my gift.  If it was I would have introduced you to it years ago.  Spike I can't deal with somebody else leaving me by choice or not.  I'm so alone."  She stayed in his arms until the faint color of dawn began to touch the sky.  Buffy turned to look at Spike.  "I need an answer."

            Spike looked up at the approaching sun and looked back down at Buffy.  He kissed the valley between her breasts and made his way up the side of her neck to her earlobe.  "I love you."  Knowing that she would want to respond he held a finger to her lips and finally faced her again.   "You're question has been answered."  He stood up, lifting her up after him.  "Close your eyes."

            She did as she was told and when she opened them it was daylight and Spike was gone.

TBC    


End file.
